Anthony walked the walk, coast to coast
Gruelling trek raised cash for hospice which helped uncle
A loving nephew journeyed from coast to coast to raise money for the hospice that cared for his uncle.
Anthony Horn, 40, conquered mountains and hills and battled bogs and moors on the 197 mile walk from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.
And it was all in aid of Accord Hospice, who cared for his uncle Brian before he passed away to cancer.
Anthony – who embarked on the gruelling walk on April, 16, two days after his 40th birthday – managed the hike in just 12 days, racking up 466,804 steps from one end of land to the other.
And just like the rocky planes he trudged across, Anthony said the adventure had its ups and downs.
He told: “It was an amazing experience and I met so many people along the way from loads of different countries.
“It was tough though and the days were varied – the furthest distance I covered in one day was 23 miles, that gave me a lot of really bad blisters on my toes.
“I also had to carry two weeks worth of food and clothes on my back, so that was an extra three stone to carry around which was difficult.
On one of the days, Anthony even had a face-off with a bull. “It charged at me in the Yorkshire Dales”, he explained. “I was wearing a bright orange Accord logo on my backpack and I think it caught the bull’s eye.
“I managed to ward it off, but that was definitely an experience.”
Anthony is a serving police officer living in Kent, but his family roots are in Paisley.
He was inspired to do the walk in memory of his uncle Brian, who spent his last days in Accord Hospice in the town. The Hospice, which offers palliative support to people affected by life- limiting illness, cared for Brian in 2011 after he received a diagnosis of cancer.
Anthony said he wanted to find a way to thank staff and nurses for their amazing comfort and support.
He claimed: “I saw how amazing the hospice staff were to him and for the family – they showed great care and help during the most difficult of times.
“Palliative care is mostly reliant on charity funding and each year they need nearly two million pounds from the public to keep providing the service they do.
“I’ve managed to raise £1,300 for Accord, passing my £1,000 goal.
“It’s a great feeling and it’s definitely made the experience all worthwhile.”
Accord Hospice showed great care and help in difficult times Anthony Horn