Failsworth Walking Group, based in the eponymous area of Manchester, took on a particularly significant challenge for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity: walking 100-odd kilometres of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James).
The group, numbering some 35, completed the route in six days, ending in the famed Galician city of Santiago de Compostela in the north-west of Spain.
The walk and fundraising were organised by Ann Garside of New Moston in Manchester, who works for BASF in Stockport. She was inspired by The Way, a 2010 film starring Michael Sheen (and written and directed by his son, Emilio Estevez).
In The Way, Sheen’s character walks the Camino de Santiago in memory of his son – played by Estevez – who died on the same route.
While Ann has no military experience, her brother was Leading Aircraftman Ian Bagshaw, who died aged just 19 while serving at RAF Waddington as an RAF firefighter.
Ann says:
“As soon as [The Way] ended, I was determined to walk the Camino, so I dropped a post on my Facebook group and before I knew it 34 people wanted to join me.”
Explaining her reasons for choosing SSAFA to benefit from funds raised, Ann says:
“I’m very passionate about the Armed Forces, and due to events in my life, I’m now also very passionate about mental health.
“In fact, I’ve recently become mental health trained, and this made me think about how the lads who were in my brother’s squadron were affected when he got killed. They were all so young…
“While the Armed Forces’ understanding of, and support for, mental health issues has improved over the years, there still needs to be more provision and awareness – and SSAFA has been at the forefront of supporting veterans and serving personnel, and their families since 1885, changing lives for good.”
While there was an emotional side to the trek, it was also an opportunity to enjoy the region.
“The whole walk was an amazing experience,” begins Ann, “We had glorious weather, the scenery was stunning, and every village we stayed overnight at had something different to offer.
“We met people from all over the world and exchanged stories as we walked with them. It was fascinating…
“They say when you walk one section of the Camino, you’ll return home to plan another section, and well, we’re already setting up to walk the Portuguese section [beginning in Porto] in 2025.”
The Failsworth Walking Group has so far raised more than £1,400 (£1,000 on Just Giving, the rest in cash donations) for SSAFA, money that will go towards the charity’s life-changing work.
Donations can still be made at justgiving.com/fundraising/ann-garside and the walking group’s website is set to go live next week at www.failsworthwalkinggrp.co.uk.
For more information, including how to access support from the UK’s oldest tri-service charity, visit ssafa.org.uk.
