Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

We arrived back, somewhat footsore, having completed the Wesy Highland Way on Friday 21st May. Many, many thanks to all of you who have kindly sponsored me or donated through this site. The walk was brilliant and the weather couldn't have been better. Amazingly, for Scotland, there was only one short shower of rain. Apart from a slightly twisted knee and an an altercation between my foot and a rock (the rock won!), there are no major injuries although my right toe is pretty swollen so it will be sandals for the next few weeks.

The walk itself is fantastic and if I can do it, pretty much anyone can and it was wonderful to be able to raise money for the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (GHDT) at the same time. This wonderful charity was established to reduce rural poverty by increasing the productivity of working horses and donkeys through animal welfare and management education.

The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa with most of the population peasant farmers. Horses and donkeys were only introduced around 30 years ago so often suffer from their carer's lack of knowledge as well as an inadequate food supply. The projects funded by the GHDT benefit both the local communities and the animals' welfare. By improving the health and management of the horses and donkeys, the income of their family will increase as the animals are able to be more productive for them.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Many, many, many thanks.

Val