Boots from Bield are made for walking

A pair of fundraisers have marched almost 100 miles to raise hundreds of pounds to help older people living with dementia.

Bield, a registered charity and provider of housing and services for older people in Scotland, saw employee Kevin Rowe and his friend Natalie Ross successfully complete a 96 mile walk along the Kintyre Way in just six days, raising over £400, money that will go towards providing care service across Bield’s developments in Scotland.

Mr Rowe, who regularly fundraises for Bield, said: “I am so pleased with the money we have managed to raise by walking the Kintyre Way and especially with Natalie’s efforts as this was her first long-distance walk. It was originally her suggestion to raise money for Bield at the same time, so she was the real driving force behind it.

“It was very difficult and boggy in places, lots of hills to climb and lots of fog to battle through. However, it remained mostly dry, the scenery was beautiful and with all the money we were raising, we knew that it would all be worth it in end.”

The pair started their walk in Tarbert and finished west of Southend, averaging 16 miles by walking eight hours each day.

Mr Rowe continued: “We were aiming to walk the full 100 miles from Tarbert to Machrihanish but unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions and our imperfect navigational skills, we had to turn back to Southend during the last section for safety’s sake. However, we still managed 96 miles which is pretty good and still longer than the original 87 mile route so not bad at all.”

Following on from this fundraising walk Mr Rowe will also be leading a 27 mile walk along the John Muir Way from Kirkintilloch to Linlithgow.

The walk will take place on 5–6 September 2015 and individuals can join for just one section or the whole two days and the terrain will be flat to suit all abilities, from older care users to younger staff members.

Mr Rowe added: “The money raised will benefit Bield tenants in so many ways and I would like to thank everyone who has donated. We greatly appreciate it and your money will help us enhance and enrich the lives of the older people we care for.”

To donate, visit the Bield JustGiving Fundraising page: www.justgiving.com/BieldMuir