London to Paris cycle challenge raises £8,000 for charity
A team of cyclists raised nearly £8,000 for a charity’s ‘life-changing’ project, after successfully completing a multi-day ride from London to Paris.
Positive Steps
A CHARITY dedicated to helping children discover the great outdoors has donated 55 pairs of walking boots to two North-East schools for autistic children.
The Walk and Talk Trust, an organisation which promotes the mental and physical benefits of outdoor walking, gifted a pair of boots to every child at Kiora Hall, in Stockton, and the Mackenzie Thorpe Centre, in South Bank, ahead of Autism Acceptance Week.
Tracey Train, principal of both schools, which are part of the North East Autism Society, said: “It’s absolutely amazing that the Walk and Talk Trust has been able to offer this to both our schools in the area; the benefit to our learners is phenomenal.
“We use the outdoors a lot with our learners to promote mental wellbeing, so it’s wonderful that they’ve all now got their own walking boots, which I suspect are going to get very well-used! We’re all just delighted.”
The donation was made possible by North-East firm, EMG Solicitors, which sponsored the boots and the associated Home Walk project, which encourages young people to explore the outdoors.
Claire Hewitt, business development manager for EMG, visited the schools to present the boots to excited pupils, many of whom couldn’t wait to try on their new footwear.
Claire said: “In 2019, EMG Solicitors set up a charitable fund with County Durham Community Foundation which has allowed us to support a variety of fantastic charities, including the Walk and Talk Trust.
"We’re overjoyed to be able to give out walking boots to kids that really need them, and to help the Trust and the North East Autism Society promote health and wellbeing – they do fantastic work, and we’re delighted to be involved."
Students also received Home Walk stickers and activity books, in which they can record any outdoor walking they get up to. All students who make an effort to fill out their book will also receive a medal.
Geoff Simpson, chief executive of the Walk and Talk Trust, said: “We’ve now presented thousands of walking boots to children all over the North, and we couldn’t be happier to see these boots being put to such fantastic use.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to EMG Solicitors for their fabulous ongoing support of the Walk and Talk Trust, and to Tracey, all her staff, and the North East Autism Society for welcoming us to both schools today.”
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