On the morning of June 3rd, MTCS managing director Richard Warburton and friends embarked on a 30-mile walk through the heart of the English Lake District to raise both funds and awareness for a very worthy cause.
Richard explains further: “Carer Support South Lakes is a charity based here in the Lake District, not far from the MTCS Head Office. Their work is focused on the many unsung people who find themselves providing care and support to family or friends, typically unpaid support and often unseen.”
“The carers here in South Lakeland are of all ages and from all walks of life, unselfishly giving their time and energies to provide vital care and companionship to others in need.”
“It’s a cause which resonates with us, and so I decided that this year I would show my support by taking part in the Keswick to Kendal sponsored walk.”
Stuart Graves is the organiser of the Keswick to Kendal sponsored walk: “This is the third Keswick to Kendal walk I have organised to raise awareness around unpaid carers, and male carers in particular.”
“The past three years have proved to all of us the importance of having a network of contacts in our daily lives and that is just on our personal and social networks. It has been a real battle for so many unpaid carers, struggling to look after their cared for person on their own for months on end with no opportunity for respite.”
Carer Support South Lakes (CSSL) supports over 1,200 unpaid carers of all ages – men and women, boys and girls – who look after a loved one, often full time, without payment. Their role is vital to the health and wellbeing of their cared for person but, more often than not, it goes completely unseen.
The walk set-off early on the morning of Saturday 3rd June from Keswick’s historic Moot Hall, and took the route of the main A591 road through the length of the Lake District and ending that evening in the historic market town of Kendal.
“The heat was as much of a challenge as the distance of the walk itself, but we were well supported along the way with plenty of encouragement from locals and the many tourists visiting the area.” adds Richard.
“It was a long and arduous day, with around 10-hours of walking in total, but we always kept in mind the people who are thanklessly providing their care and support to others every single day – something which puts our one day of effort into perspective.”
The Keswick 2 Kendal Sponsored Walk team are hoping to raise a figure of £5,000 for Carer Support South Lakes.
If you would like to make a donation to the fundraising effort, then your contribution would be greatly appreciated. You may do so by visiting the event JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/k2kcssl
About Carer Support South Lakes:
Carer Support South Lakes identifies the needs of unpaid Carers of any age and provides quality services, support and advocacy to promote their health and wellbeing.
Many of the services that Carers Support South Lakes provides for carers are delivered by volunteers who also work behind the scenes, supporting staff and thus improving the quality of the service provided.
