A group of youngsters completed a gruelling fundraising walk in some of this year’s hottest weather.
Caitlyn White, 21, of Whitehaven, with her close friends, walked the 69-mile route from Newcastle to Carlisle following Hadrian’s Wall over the weekend.
The youngsters took on the challenge to raise money for the West Cumberland Hospital’s Henderson and Loweswater suites and Carlisle’s Northern Centre for Cancer Care.
Caitlyn, who organised the fundraiser, said; “Last year one of my best friends’ sister got diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and this year my mam was diagnosed with breast cancer as well.
“I messaged a few of my friends to see if we could do something to raise a bit of money for the three main wards my mam’s been using at the moment and we sat down and decided on three days and walking Hadrian’s Wall.
“Everyone who did the walk has been affected by cancer in some way and we just want to create a community where we can talk about it more openly.”
The youngsters were supported by Caitlyn’s mum and her husband who followed along in their campervan, providing the group with extra water, snacks and supplies.
Over the course of the weekend, they faced temperatures of up to 30 degrees and little to no shade on route.
Caitlyn added: “It was horrendous in the weather, it was just so hot and there was barely any shade and the miles we were walking were just ridiculous in that heat. But doing it with my closest friends, it was about getting each other through and having crack to keep us going.
“On the Sunday we got up at 3am and set off at 4.30am so we could miss some of the sun. If we stopped for longer than five minutes we’d get stiff and our feet were giving in, so we just had to keep going.
“But when we finished it was absolutely amazing I don’t think there was anyone that wasn’t crying, we just couldn’t believe we’d done it, it was just so surreal.”
The group raised a total of £6,340, beating their £1,000 target which at first, Caitlyn said they had worried was too high.
The funds raised will go towards buying items that the hospitals need, including a new outdoor seating area at Carlisle and care packages to support patients going through chemotherapy.
One of Caitlyn’s friends will also be helping to host the Ged Blaney Memorial Day where they will be raising money for the same three wards.
The fundraising event is open to the public and held annually at Whitehaven Cricket Club, where a full day of cricket takes place alongside live music.
