I'm going to walk 55 miles in 2 days from Minehead to Barrow Gurney to raise money for things I care about in both places!
Minehead's streets and roads have seen many trees removed in recent years for a variety of reasons. Somerset Council have, due to their serious financial problems, not replaced them. Trees, hedges, bushes and other plants are vital in public spaces not only because they improve air quality and offer shade and temperature reduction, but also because they encourage wildlife, they capture carbon and store and process excess rainwater, and they increase the visual appeal of our streets, roads, squares, and parks, building pride and respect for the place we live in. I think it's important to have as much greenery in our villages, towns and cities as possible, and whilst I appreciate that Minehead Town Council are working to fund the replacement of SOME trees, I don't think they can nor should take the onus to replace all of those that have been removed, never mind add more. So I'm going to start my sponsored walk in Minehead, West Somerset and raise funds for Minehead Town Council to purchase more trees without it having an impact of the town's precept.
My 55 mile walk will end in Barrow Gurney, North Somerset, where I have been living since 2019. I am a member of the Village Hall Committee there, and we are often thinking of ways to build funds to upgrade the hall and the services it offers. It makes sense for me to divide the funds I raise equally between the place that I grew up in, and the place that currently provides me with a home and community. One of the things which may be funded at the village hall is a new AV system, which would allow cinema nights and regular talks to be held there, amongst many other things.
I'll start in Minehead on the morning of Wednesday 5th June, and I'll sleep overnight at a campsite just outside of Bridgwater. I'll leave the site early the next morning and continue walking, passing through Cheddar and the Mendip Hills before arriving at The Fox and Goose in Barrow Gurney that night. The total milage, according to my OS Maps application, will be 55.65 miles. I'm not what people would call an experienced walker, but I have done long distance walks before, including parts of the South West Coast Path. I'll be following both digital and printed maps, and my route avoids walking down any unsafe or unpaved dual carriageways, etc.
I'll be documenting the different species of plant and animal that I come across along the way, and I'll likely produce some art from the experience, too, which I will share via local social media groups on completion, and if it's good enough, auction off for more funds to go towards my two chosen causes.