Thanks for visiting my Big Walk 2019 Just Giving page.

Another year, another Big Walk!  I'm sure many of you know that I do a lot of walking and running, particularly out in the Peaks.  Home is just somewhere I dry my kit!  But the Big Walk has a special place in my heart, because it's what started this big adventure for me.  The 2015 Big Walk is what made me get out and get fit, rediscover my love of walking and the countryside, and gave me the confidence to push myself into terms of distance and terrain.  It also was responsible for establishing some very special friendships, at a time when I really needed them.

So I'm committed to the Big Walk, and though 37 miles may seem like it's not that much of a challenge for me, I'm also out there every week, arranging training walks for other Big Walkers and trying to help them, as others helped me in 2015.  The Big Walk is a big commitment for me that goes far beyond the day itself, and I hope you'll support me by sponsoring me!  This year, it's a particularly personal cause because it's raising funds for student scholarships, and I can remember what a wonderful opportunity it was, for me, to come to the University of Sheffield. 

I’m taking part in The Big Walk 2019, a walking and running challenge on Friday 28 June. I’ll be aiming to complete 37 miles through the Peak District,  starting at the University, heading out through Ringinglow down into Fox House, meeting the rest of the walkers at Bamford and continuing up through Ladybower and Bradfield before coming down to the University for a celebratory finish!

I’m walking to give students the opportunity to come and study at Sheffield, the same opportunity I enjoyed more than 25 years ago.

Why are we doing this?

This year we are fundraising for Sheffield Scholarships, aiming to give as many students as possible the opportunity to come and study at Sheffield. Scholarships are vital to reduce barriers for bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to have a university education. Unfortunately, the cost of university is increasing, which is reducing the number of students able to attend university from lower income and disadvantaged backgrounds. The rising costs are not just tuition fees, but all costs, encompassing living such as rent and bills, textbooks, equipment, course field trips, sports, activities and travel costs. Students who are from lower-income backgrounds often have to turn to loans to cover the cost of living, which can leave these students with debts of over £50,000 or more. Fear of these debts can put off both prospective undergraduates and bright graduates from pursuing further study through a Master's degree.

So please donate to my page to help give students the opportunity to come and study here at Sheffield.

Further information about the Big Walk and Sheffield Scholarships can be found here:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/big-walk

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE BIG WALK 2019 AND SHEFFIELD SCHOLARSHIPS!.