Duo to take part in Virtual Kiltwalk for VisionPK
A pair of plucky pensioners are putting their best foot forward to raise vital funds for a charity close to their hearts.
Determined Leana Cleland (82) and Val Wares (80) will pull on their walking shoes for the Virtual Kiltwalk later this month.
Both ladies have macular degeneration, a common condition which affects the middle part of someone’s vision.
While it does not cause total blindness, everyday activities like reading and recognising faces can become difficult.
The pair have, for many years, found the support of VisionPK invaluable and the Perth charity was the inspiration for the upcoming challenge.
Leana and Val – the latter will be joined by guide dog Jorja – are set to walk eight miles around Perth and Scone on a date between April 23 to 25.
“The inspiration came from Gwenn McCreath, who is the CEO,” explained Val, who is honorary president of VisionPK and also chair of Perth Macular Group.
“Gwenn and her husband did a Virtual Kiltwalk last year and had said in one of the newsletters: ‘How about some of you joining in next year?’
“I thought why not and tried to persuade some of the Macular group. One or two were a little hesitant because of coronavirus, but Leana kindly said she would join in.
“I’ll walk from where I stay at the far end of Scone down to where Leana stays on Isla Road.
“We’ll meet up, walk to Scone Palace and walk around the grounds there. It will then be back through Quarrymill.”
VisionPK aims to support the empowerment of people with a sensory impairment to take a full and fulfilling role in society and to help them to achieve the personal outcomes they aspire to.
“It has been fantastic,” Leana said of her involvement with VisionPK. “It’s not looked upon that your vision is bad so you can’t do anything.
“It is very much the opposite and about finding ways so you can get round the things that are difficult for you.
“There is equipment you had never heard about and you can decide what is good for you.
“After my husband died, I was asked if I would like to become a volunteer at Vision PK. I started to do that about seven years ago.
“I find it really rewarding and it gives me a great boost, doing what I can to help others.”
Ahead of the eight-mile walk, Leana laughed: “It will be good to get fit. I thought it would be good for us. We were in all winter and I was getting to the stage where I was hardly walking.”
And Val added: “I have been walking during lockdown - but not eight miles.”
Leana and Val are truly grateful to all who have donated to their fundraising pages in recent weeks and they are on track to topple £1000.
Katie Wylie, fundraising manager at VisionPK, thanked them for their “incredible” efforts.
“It’s a charity that has been around for a long time and is wellloved by people who know about it,” Katie said.
“We want to get awareness out so people know that we’re here. We are here from the very beginning of their journey.
“These ladies are getting out there and doing something incredible. It means so much to us. It really does.”
For Val’s donation page see https://virtual.thekiltwalk. co.uk/fundraising/ ScotlandsVirtualKiltwalk2021ValerieWares
And for Leana visit https://virtual.thekiltwalk. co.uk/fundraising/ ScotlandsVirtualKiltwalk2021LeanaCleland