Your donation to Wallking from Lands' End to John o' Groats
When I was 11 years old, I completed a charity walk with my grandad, Fred, from my home in Redditch to my school in Hollywood on the outskirts of Birmingham. Sadly, in 2024 Fred passed away after a battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). I decided I wanted to honour Fred by undertaking another charity walk and settled on the fairly significant challenge of walking the length of Great Britain, from Lands' End in the south to John o' Groats in the north.
On 10th May, I'll be setting off from the most easterly part of Cornwall on the 1200+ mile hike which will see me spend the majority of the summer on the road. My planned route begins by following the northern half of the South West Coast Path as I make my way towards Bristol. I'll then take the Severn Way to Tewkesbury and travel onto Birmingham before passing through the Peak District. I'll take a small detour to Sheffield to visit some friends before hiking the Pennine Way through northern England. In Scotland, I'll make my way to just north of Glasgow before walking the West Highland Way to Fort William, where I'll spend a day tackling the largest mountain in the UK, the 4413ft tall Ben Nevis. I'll then use the Great Glen Way to navigate along the sides of Loch Ness, before following the John o' Groats Trail up the East Coast to my final destination.
For the majority I will be walking solo, but will be joined by friends and family along the way including a stretch with my 6 year old nephew Freddie. If you are interested in joining for some of the walk, reach out to me via instagram (link below).
A link to my progress tracker can be found at: google.com
A link to my schedule (subject to change) can be found at: docs.google.com
You can also follow me on instagram where I’ll be posting photos / videos throughout: https://www.instagram.com/acourts24?igsh=N3p2bml3c3NzN2R0&utm_source=qr
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There are two charities I'll be raising money for through this challenge:
- Motor Neurone Disease Association - it should be obvious why I'd like to support this charity and hopefully me doing this walk will in some way improve either our understanding of MND or provide support for those suffering with it. The MND Association is a charity that funds research, looks to improve care and provide support for people with MND, their families and carers. (mndassociation.org)
- Birmingham City Football Club Foundation - an influential part of my life is Birmingham City Football Club, Fred was a season ticket holder at St. Andrew's until he was no longer well enough to attend, and I travel to Blues matches home and away with my parents, sister and nephews. As my dad says: "Its the one thing we do as a family". Associated with the football club, the Birmingham City Foundation is a charity that uses the power and passion of sport and the brand of BCFC to provide opportunities and experiences to those people who make up the local communities within Birmingham. (bcfcfoundation.com)