A GROUP of residents in Atworth have raised £1,555 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS) Bath when they took part in a 10-mile walk for the charity.
16 residents, known as the Atworth Dog Walkers, walked a 10-mile circular route on Sunday 20th August, organised by a resident in the village, Gordon Duncan – a supporter of the MS Society Bath.
Gordon bought members of the community together for the event, that saw a range of ages take part from those aged nine years old and up.
One of the walkers, David said, “People really enjoyed it and the route was really nice. Most people are used to walking their dogs but for most of us it’s been a little while since we walked ten miles and it’s not something we do every weekend. We followed maps that Gordon had printed out and we all walked together.
“The warm weather and scenery were highlights of the day, as well as having to navigate several fields of cows, especially as there was all of us in bright orange t-shirts with MS printed on! There were also some inquisitive horses but we came prepared with carrots to feed them. Those were the two main challenges of the day – trying to skirt past the cows and the two horses that wanted to say hello.”
The circular walk involved pub stops; one at Broughton Gifford and one in Whitley before finishing at The White Hart in Atworth which was decorated with the charity’s bunting. The walkers were greeted at the finish line with lunch while representatives from MS Bath congratulated them and spoke about where the funds they had raised would go.
The group raised funds through sharing an online donation page around friends and family and collecting at the pubs on the walk.
David said, “When we got to the pub at Atworth there was lunch for us and we were also joined by two members of the MS Society; it was nice to finish it with a reminder of why we did it.
“We mostly all own dogs and all live in the same small village so got to know each other through dog walking and have become friends. But there were people there I didn’t know and vice versa so it was a nice event to bring people together.”
Due to the success of the event, David said there is already talk about organising one for next year.
To support the group’s fundraising, here’s the link – https://localgiving.org/ fundraising/atworth-dog-walkers-10-mile-walk-1691435691/
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