The Thames Walk for Water

Last year, around 20,000 children and parents took part in sponsored walks in villages, towns and cities across the UK as part of our Turn on the Tap campaign.

This year, the walk is going global.

We’ve teamed up with our sister organisations in Australia, Canada and Europe to organise a Global Walk for Water – inviting schools and churches, children and parents, young and old to go for a local walk with a global impact.

1,000s of people across the globe…all walking 1 million miles….raising 1 million pounds in the UK alone…for families living without clean water.

The Thames Walk is where it all began... 15 days, a combined 899 miles walked, Cirencester to the Thames Barrier.

You can see some of their photos and read about their adventures in the entries below. Find out more about Turn on the Tap at www.turnonthetap.org.uk there's also a donation link where you can sponsor us.

Monday, 23 March 2009

Day 3:Lechlade to Newbridge

Day three, is the strain starting to tell, 24ish miles in good weather with the sun beating down already completed? Who really knows, but the guys are doing really well, despite the detection of a slight limp as the muscles start up for a days worth of walking. The difference is today the sun is absent and there is a breeze in the air, they are already prepared; don’t forget these are wise and hardy men from the north.
What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours: We’ve had March weather with sun, wind and rain and at the end, weather beaten faces.

Today is the big one, a 16 mile walk, which is isolated from roads, although the two stopping points have pubs! Split into three sections, with Ian joined them for the middle section; yes he could still walk after Saturday, notably without the need for talcum powder.
Springs to mind that the average distance walked for water in Africa is four miles, that the average, some walk much less and some walk many more miles. Just imagine having to walk maybe twelve miles for your water, just how long would that take you then?

After bidding Old Father Thames goodbye we set off and only saw 2 people and a dog all day! We saw plenty of river and green fields with Canada geese and swans but no signs of life.

Tomorrow, Tuesday we will be setting off at 10.00 a.m. from Newbridge and walking to Oxford Station. Then on Wednesday we will be setting off from Oxford and walking to Abingdon, finishing at the road bridge on the A415. Please come and join us and boost John and Martyn on this quest. If you want to know more about water issues or Samaritans Purse, come to our conference, Saturday May 9th at Leeds and Saturday 16th May at Swindon (the home of the magic roundabout).
God bless sat navs, but not ours, wrong side of river - no bridge, mmmm.
Posted by at 12:36

2 comments:

  1. just a line to let you know we are thinking about you and praying for you all daily, well done John and Martyn.

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  2. Glad you got through the weekend. I DID forget the clocks and missed by daughters boyfriend running the Liverpool Half Marathon on Sunday -So I am in the dog house...Well done - hope your feet are not too sore - I am writing things up in the April Stop Press this week.

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