Walker goes the distance for The Norfolk Hospice

A 71-year-old man from Middleton has raised £4,438 for a West Norfolk charity after walking more than 100-miles across the county.

Ray Stevens trekked 122-miles across Norfolk over a six-day period, despite the recent warm weather, to raise money for The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House.

Walking around 20-miles a day, Mr Stevens doubled his £2,000 fundraising target, totalling £4,438.80.

He said: “I would just like to thank everyone who has sponsored me. Without them I wouldn’t have raised the amount we have.”

Mr Stevens took on this charity challenge after recovering from cancer four years ago and a twisted bowel last year.

He said he wanted to help those who are less fortunate than himself.

The Norfolk Hospice’s director of finance and fundraising, John Garrett, said: “We appreciate every effort made by supporters to raise money to enable us to continue to care for people from communities in the West and North of Norfolk.”

“For Ray to have walked over 120-miles in six days, bearing in mind his age, background and the weather, and to have raised the amount he did, must rank him among one of the greatest achievements on our behalf that we have seen this year.”

The walk took him through Gayton, Litcham, Bawdeswell and North Walsham to Mundesley.

He then made this journey back through Cromer, Sheringham, Wells-Next-The-Sea and Brancaster to Hunstanton and then on to Dersingham and back to Middleton.

He spent nights at barbecues and “met lots of very supportive people” on his journey.

For more information about The Norfolk Hospice, visit www.norfolkhospice.org.uk