SECRET World Wildlife Rescue's manager David Plant, raised money by completing a walking challenge on Saturday May 20.
He sets a challenge every year around his birthday, and for 2023 he chose a big walk, visiting all 3 of SWWR’s charity shops on foot.
Covering just over 29 miles over the course of 12 hours, he started on Cheapside in Langport, braving a few hills on the way to the charity’s store on Glastonbury High Street.
After a break there, he headed west towards SWWR’s centre near Highbridge, then continued onto Burnham-on-Sea, where he was welcomed at the charity’s biggest shop on the high street.
Through the generous support of the charity’s donors, plus his friends and family, he has raised £3,396 at the time of writing.
Supporters and followers enjoyed updates on the charity’s Facebook page throughout the day and were able to follow his progress on a live tracker via Strava.
On the challenges he encountered in his journey he said:“I chose this ambitious challenge as I wanted to do something genuinely challenging this year. I like walking but don’t do any real exercise, and have never walked this far before, so I knew it would be a difficult one.
"I tried to train for it but gave myself shin splints (further proof I’m allergic to exercise!) so had to take it easy for the 6 weeks before the big day.
"All in all, I was on the road for just under 12 hours on a warm and sunny day. The last 10 miles were a real challenge, but I just kept thinking about everyone’s messages of support and the animals we were helping together.
"I suffered, but it’s nothing compared to what sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals must endure, often because of human interaction.
"The total I raised is astonishing. I started out with a modest target of £500, but the donations just kept coming in.
"Thank you to everyone who got behind me, especially those who were watching me on the live tracker. It got a little lonely at times, but it helped knowing you were all encouraging me to keep going.”
David’s JustGiving page is still open and it’s not too late to sponsor him if you’re looking for a way to help wildlife. https://www.justgiving.com/page/david-plant-2023-charity-shop-walk
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