David Beeby – 16th September
Today we walked up the beautiful Borrowdale valley through mixed woodlands, delighted by a red squirrel sighting and birdsong. The route took us down the valley and then along the western shore of Derwent Water.
Whilst in the valley I happened to meet the chair of the Borrowdale story. They are writing about the history of the valley including its mining and quarrying. The going today was gentler with the lakeside path relatively accessible and therefore busier. More elderly visitors were out and about enjoying the magic of Cumbria.
Fraser Dooley of Amy’s Care joined us for the last few miles. He and his wife established Amy’s Care nearly 6 years ago (Amy is his grandmothers name!). Fraser is very enthusiastic and committed to providing enjoyable, quality days out for local older adults, particularly those with dementia. The Community Foundation recently helped fund 2 rickshaws, which are proving to be such a fun experience for their clients.
A little earlier we stopped for a short break at Lingholm cafe. Wonderfully developed by the Seymour family who, as well as establishing an important business, are engaging with local charities.
As I reflect on the last few days and some of the amazing people I have met during my time as Chair of the Cumbria Community Foundation I could wonder whether our excellent strap line ‘we connect people who care with causes that matter’ could alternatively be ‘we connect people who care with people who care’! So many causes that we are able to support through the generosity of our donors (people who care) are run by inspirational people who spend their lives caring for others.
You can sponsor David and the team here.