Walking for Hope
What if you went for a walk with a few hundred other people and ended up raising nearly £1,000?
On a sunny August day, the four Lark Ladies (Luan, Anna-Leigh, Becky and Karen) did just that, walking thirteen miles along the beautiful North Norfolk coast, starting and finishing at the stunning Palladian mansion Holkham Hall. Although we all love a tramp through the countryside, we weren’t doing it for the steps. We were raising money for Honeysuckle Day Care in Copdock near Ipswich, and the Alzheimer’s Society.
Over 850,000 people in the UK live with dementia. The effect on their loved ones can be devastating. Becky’s mum, Ellen, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February last year. Becky had a feeling it was dementia, but Ellen was misdiagnosed with Long COVID. Honeysuckle have been a lifesaver for Becky and her family, offering respite care to Ellen in a warm, welcoming and loving environment. Small and family-run, Honeysuckle give essential respite to families and carers, providing many stimulating activities including gardening, singing, crafting and going for walks together.
“Honeysuckle has made such a difference to us,” explains Becky. “The three ladies who run it, Ali Lauren and Carol, are real life superheroes. They show such compassion and love for everyone who comes to them and treat them with dignity. I know that Mum is safe and happy whenever she’s at Honeysuckle. We all wanted to do something to show our appreciation and raise much-needed funds for them.”
Becky took a handwritten card from her two children, Quinn and Jack, to keep her motivated.
“Mummy, good luck on your walk for Nanny. We are so proud of you.”
Honeysuckle were delighted to be presented with a cheque for £1,020 (more donations came in once the giant cheque had been produced!) This money will be used to book a Christmas pantomime, a fish and chip lunch and perhaps hiring a petting zoo. Research has proved that stroking pets and having contact with them reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol and increases the levels of oxytocin and serotonin in the brain. Being around animals can also trigger memories in dementia patients, and reduce anxiety and confusion.
Karen did the walk in memory of her beloved Aunty Dot, who also had dementia.
“She was one of those people who loved life. Holidays were the highlight of her year and three of her favourite things were bright red nails, a suntan and Tia Maria! I never met anyone like her – we should all be more Aunty Dot.”
Karen was also walking for Carole, her sister-in-law’s mum. Carole is currently on her dementia journey, happy and supported with the whole family doing their best to navigate a new way of life with all its challenges.
“It was my way of honouring them and helping to support other families. Dementia affects so many lives and I loved the idea of making a difference.”
A magnificent £936,772 was raised by the walkers for the Alzheimer’s Society on the day, much-needed to fund ongoing research. For forty-seven years, this amazing charity has been researching the many forms of dementia, fundraising and providing support to dementia patients, their carers and families. Their focus, to improve care and the lives of people living with dementia, plays out through their ground-breaking dementia cafes, lobbying and campaigning and local activity groups.
Here at the Lark Partnership, we firmly believe in community action, supporting charity and making a difference where we are. Seeing tangible results from going for a walk on a hot August day has left us wondering how else we could help charities and good causes. Social capital is super important to us. It’s not just about business.
What do you think? Tell us about your fundraising activities in the comments.
To find out more about Honeysuckle Day Care and The Alzheimer’s Society, click on the links below.
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