In 2019 I started volunteering with B:friend and was introduced to our wonderful friend Brian. Brian sadly lost his wife some years ago and his only family lived in Australia; he was incredibly lonely. Over the 4 years I knew him I visited weekly and eventually introduced him to Simon and Sebastian (the spaniel). We were able to take him to the pub, to the city centre, taught him to bake, he was interviewed on BBC radio sheffield and even made his TV debut at the young age of 86 meeting Esther Ransen.

Brian taught us so much in the time we knew him. One of his favourite phrases was 'I don't blame you, do it whilst you're young!" We lost Brian last October and now feels like as good a time as ever to raise some money for B:friend who brought him so much joy in the last years of his life.

We have always hoped to hike the West Highland Way and we have decided to do this in honour of him this September. The challenge is 96 miles (154 km), with guaranteed midges, bogs and (i'm sure) lots of rain. We will be camping/hosteling along the route.

We and B:friend would be so grateful to anyone who is able to donate to sponsor us. This will help fund one-to-one pairings and social groups that help older people to feel less alone!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.