Former NHS worker and WW2 veteran, Joan aims to walk 102 laps of Allenby Park's pathways before her 102nd birthday to raise money for the NHS. Joan has reached walk 90 and she's still going strong! Keep walking Joan! You're amazing, as the posters say.

Joan and the NHS  - Not only is Joan part of the generation that built the NHS, she was an NHS worker too - first at Hillingdon Hospital, then at Felixstowe General Hospital as an auxiliary nurse in the outpatient department from 1964 to 1978, working with an inspirational and dedicated staff. Joan says, 'Even behind a mask NHS workers make people smile, so let's all smile'.

Two Allenby Parks! -For more than half her life Joan has lived near to an Allenby Park, either in Felixstowe, or in Jerusalem, where she was posted in the army (1942-1946) as a 'Red Cap' with the Provost in Egypt and Palestine. Walking round Allenby Park now, she marvels at the NHS motive of love mown into the grass. Love for the NHS is important to Joan.

The Challenge - When the park gates recently opened Joan could resume her regular park walks. Keeping socially distanced, and weather permitting, she hopes to raise money for the NHS by completing 102 circuits of Allenby Park's pathways before her birthday. 

And She's Off Again! - In 2013, when Joan was aged a mere 95, she completed a 5K charity walk for Cancer Research UK. Although she uses a walking frame, the Allenby Challenge should be a walk in the park! On 22nd April 2020 Joan walked through the open gates and the countdown began. Please support former NHS worker, Joan, by giving a donation to the NHS, no matter how small.

Thank you. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. You can keep up to date with Joan's progress by reading the blog, which records events from the start of the walk. Click SHOW MORE to see it.

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