This will be my thirteenth annual 100 Mile Charity Walk – I’m hoping that 13 is going to my lucky number!! Certainly the weather could not be much worse than it’s been for the last two years. I’m back to walking in April as that has previously proven to be good walking weather. I’m also back to walking in England as my last 2 Welsh walks proved a tad damp and windy. I’ve planned as much as I can for a trouble-free walk but we’ll see what transpires when I start on Friday 17th April 2026.
I’m starting with a ‘gentle’ 12 mile solo toddle from Uppingham to Morcott where we are staying for a couple of days. It’s a mere 10 minutes to drive but it will take me about 4hrs of comfortable walking pace to complete. On the next 2 days I’m hoping to have company walking with a couple of WRACA ladies. We’ll be covering around 12.5 miles each day to complete 3/5ths of the “Rutland Round” walk.
Day 4, on the Monday, sees me walking back on my own again as the mileage ramps up a little, Monday 13 miles, Tuesday 14 miles and then Wednesday 16 miles. My final two walking days are easier, both around 10 miles. In order to complete my 100 Mile challenge I will have walked around the boundary of Rutland County, around the edge of Rutland Water, around Hambleton Peninsula and finally around the county town of Oakham.
Each year my supporters amaze and humble me with their generosity and again I’m raising funds for the same two charities as last year.
The first is the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association, the only military veteran’s charity set up specifically to cater for the needs of female veterans. Females are often the forgotten ‘heroes’ - forgotten by society in general but also by ‘Veteran’ society as well. The WRAC Association gives not only financial support to female army veterans but also provides emotional support to a section of the community that often suffer from isolation and loneliness. The WRAC Association is a safe haven where female veterans can find the support and friendship that is often all that is required to overcome their difficulties.
My second charity is a Pembrokeshire (the county of my birth) charity, the V C Gallery, CEO Barry John MBE who served 20 years as a soldier and set up the charity to combat loneliness and social isolation for veterans & community. As a veteran myself I am only too aware of how fortunate I am and how difficult and lonely it can be to transition from military to civilian life. Last year I visited Barry and Kevin at the facility they run in Haverfordwest and heard about and saw some of the on-going projects. In my hometown of Pembroke Dock they have turned an abandoned school building into a hive of activity, innovation and support for all those in the local community who need their help to enrich their lives.
You can follow this year’s walk and read about most of my previous ones on my Blog at:
margdavieswalks.blogspot.co.uk
