Tartan-trekking kiltwalkers go extra mile for great cause
WONDERFUL walkers who took on a tartan trek have helped eight local young people access life-changing mental health support.
Ladies from the BellaFit gym in Greenock raised £5,450 for Mind Mosaic Child and Family Therapies by completing the Kiltwalk.
The charity’s chief executive Sandra Boyle says that the amount collected through donations and sponsorship will allow eight youngsters to come off the waiting list and start benefitting from vital services.
Sandra said she was ‘overwhelmed’ by the donation.
She told the Tele: “It’s an absolutely fantastic amount and we’re so grateful.
“We really appreciate the girls working so hard to raise this money for us.
“We want to say a huge thank-you to them for all their great efforts.”
Two members of the Mind Mosaic Child & Family Therapies team - Stephen Crawford and Beverley Allen - also took part in the mammoth walking challenge and raised £800.
A group of 16 BellaFit gym members took on the walk, led by the gym’s founder and owner Nicola Bell.
Nicola said the ladies wanted to complete the challenge to raise money for a cause that changes lives across Inverclyde.
She added: “We focus a lot on our mental health as well as our physical health in the gym.
“We wanted to choose a charity that does a lot to help children and families and helps
people with their mental health.
“We’re all absolutely thrilled to have raised such a huge amount and want to thank everyone who donated.”
Nicola said the team of trekkers found the walking challenge to be a lot more difficult than they expected it to be but rallied together and spurred each other on.
She added: “We all quite like walking but we definitely underestimated it. It was still great fun and we kept each other going as we went round.
“It was mentally and physically challenging but we were all there together.
“We were all relieved to see the finish line. “It was a great experience and we would definitely do it again.”
Nicola set up BellaFit around five years ago and has built up a strong team of women in that short time.
Nicola added: “It’s more than a gym - it’s a community in its own right.”