Friends from Thatcham and Cold Ash walking 70km for Railway Children charity
Pair will walk from Swindon to Salisbury
FRIENDS from Thatcham and Cold Ash are to trek more than 40 miles in three days to support children on the streets.
Laura Swiatek and Rowanne Dyson will walk 43.4 miles (70km) from Swindon to Salisbury between today (Friday) and Sunday.
The walk will start in Swindon, passing through Avebury and Stonehenge and ending up in Salisbury.
The friends will camp out along the way, carrying all their equipment with them.
The two mothers, who are in their 30s, are walking in aid of Railway Children, a charity providing protection to street children in India, East Africa and the UK.
The charity works to reach children as soon as they arrive on the streets, either through poverty, abuse or neglect, and intervene before an abuser can.
Miss Swiatek and Mrs Dyson said: “We will be supporting this charity because as mothers ourselves, we can’t imagine any child being forced to live such an unimaginable life.
“Our walking challenge will be gruelling and difficult.
“We are not seasoned walkers, but our discomfort will be nothing compared to the children who are forced to live on the streets and face horrendous circumstances.”
The pair are hoping that their charity walk will be smoother than their last trek, to Lake Montbel while at a health retreat in France.
Mrs Dyson said: “Unfortunately we got lost in 35-degree heat with no water, food or map.
“We must have hiked about 10km up a mountain before realising we had gone the wrong way and had to hike all the way back down again.
“We found the lake eventually, after about five hours.
“It was hilarious until Laura tripped over a fallen branch and landed on her kneecap.
“She was on crutches for a month.
“We laugh about it now and we believe it sets us in good stead for the challenge ahead as we are determined to see it through, regardless of the weather or injury.
“What a luxury this ‘trek and camp’ will be when compared with the millions of children not given a choice in where they sleep at night.
“If you could support us, please, please donate.”
For more information about the charity, visit www.railwaychildren.org.uk
To make a donation click here
