We Wanted To Give Something Back
Friends Donna and Teresa have raised thousands for hospices
Teresa Sanders (58) and her friend Donna French (52) bonded over a love of walking in the lovely surroundings of their native Kent.
“We don’t follow a specific route or even take a map,” says Teresa, from Biddenden, near Ashford. “We just go where our feet take us and see where we end up.”
But every now and then, their light-hearted chat turns to more serious topics.
In 2014, Donna’s motherin-law spent her last days in Pilgrims Hospice, in Ashford.
Grateful for the care she’d received, Donna wanted to do something to say thank you for everything the hospice staff had done for her.
“Of course I wanted to help,” says Teresa. “We agreed we’d embark on a sponsored walk to raise money for the hospice and raise awareness of the work they do. Given our love of walking, it seemed the logical thing.”
The pair opted to walk 150 miles along the Saxon Shore Way, a footpath following the ancient Kent coastline.
“It was a far greater distance than we’d ever covered before, but we felt it should be a challenge,” recalls Teresa.
They completed it in four days, starting in Gravesend, and ending in East Sussex.
“It was difficult, but we had a real sense of achievement when we’d completed it,” smiles Teresa. “It was wonder ful to have done it together.”
A couple of years later, the pair again found themselves relying on hospices.
“In 2016, Donna’s father was diagnosed with stomach cancer and was also cared for in Pilgrims Hospice,” explains Teresa. “In the same year, I lost my aunt. She’d been ill with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and she too needed hospice care, in the incredible Wisdom Hospice, in Rochester, Kent.
“Both Donna and I felt we owed these hospices a great debt, so we decided to pull our walking boots on again.”
This time, Teresa and Donna decided to tackle a 250-mile route through Kent over 14 days, joined by their friends James Aylott and Simon McKay.
“We were chatting in our local pub and discovered all of us had been touched by cancer in some way,” explains Teresa. “Simon and James decided they wanted to walk with us.”
James adds, “We reasoned there was a time for talking and a time for walking. It was our turn to take action and show some appreciation for the selfless staff who support our loved ones when we no longer can.”
The team have so far raised £6,000 but hope their final total will be far higher.
“It’s good to know the money we raised will help patients and their families get through the most difficult of times,” says Donna.
“It was incredibly emotional at times, but such a rewarding experience,” adds Teresa.
To learn more about the Hospice Heroes journey and to donate, visit the Walk the Walk Kent Virgin Money Giving Page at HTTP://UK.VIRGINMONEYGIVING. COM/WALKTHEWALKKENT
“We were chatting and found we’d all been touched by cancer in some way”