I took a couple of days out of the office last week – and a day of the weekend – to walk a circular 66 mile loop of the beautiful East Kent countryside from Broadstairs to Canterbury, then the first section of the Via Francigena to Dover (it goes all the way to Rome!) and finally back to Broadstairs along the awesome White Cliffs.  I was not walking for charity and I didn’t ask for sponsorship. I enjoy being outside in all weathers.  However, it was always going to be a slight challenge to walk this distance (at least I thought so, until I saw the website of the Long Distance Walkers Association).

Clinco’s Headway collection

So before setting off I dedicated the walk to the friends I made at Headway when I volunteered there earlier this year; to the great members of the Headway Thursday morning literacy group and all those who taught me how to play Uno and beat me at Scrabble in the afternoons. They make the best of life with good humour and persistence, often in the face of a lack of understanding from society.   Our management team have kindly agreed I can tap Clinco funds for a donation of £1 per mile to add to our Headway change collection jar – so £66 in total.  I am planning drop in at the Ramsgate day centre soon to catch up with their news and thank them for motivating me to go further and keep going, as they themselves do every day.