Could you walk 500 miles?

Clare Dunn, 23, is setting off this week to walk from France to Spain along the Camino Santiago de Compostela. The Way of St James, as it is commonly known, is an ancient pilgrimage starting in St Jean Pied de Port and finishing in Santiago. While many people visit a short section, often choosing to travel on bike or horseback, Clare will walk every gruelling mile, including the climb over the Pyrenees.

It will be a tough six weeks – but Clare has something to keep her going. She is walking ‘The Way’ for Wish, the UK’s only national mental health charity just for women. Wish works across prisons, psychiatric hospitals and the community, supporting women who are often coping with trauma such as domestic violence, sexual assault and homelessness, on top of their mental health issues. The charity helps The Orchard Unit in Ealing.

“Knowing I can make a difference to 1,000 of the UK’s most vulnerable women will keep me going. These women wouldn’t have anyone if it weren’t for Wish - they are invisible in society, they don’t have a voice. I know times are hard for all charities at the moment, but Wish in particular needs the public’s support.”

Clare’s fundraising will help more women build a future for themselves, after going through terrible experiences and losing everything. Wish is there every step of the way, right through to finding employment and training – as Jenny discovered. Jenny first encountered Wish when she was on remand while her then-husband awaited trial for multiple offences. Jenny was imprisoned simply because she was present at one of the incidences; after 13 months she was released without any charge. During that time she lost everything. Wish assisted with finding accommodation and regaining custody of her children, supported her through difficulties associated with divorcing her husband, and helped her gain funding for a counselling course. Now, Jenny is enjoying her first year at University and hopes to support women as Wish supported her.

Clare has been busy training by hiking around Box Hill, the largest hill in Surrey, and taking long walks along the Thames and London’s canals. But she knows this won’t come close to the real challenges she will experience on her mission. “Nothing will prepare me for the emotional challenge of the long journey. Walking all day every day in the heat, not knowing what lies ahead - but this is the aspect I am looking forward to the most!” And the thing she’ll miss most? “I love my creature comforts so I have been weaning myself off my bed by spending nights on my camping mattress and in my sleeping bag. It is so tempting to crawl back into a comfy bed when it is right next to you!”

Can you help Clare meet her goal of raising valuable funds for Wish? To show your support, you can go to www.justgiving.com/Clare-DunnO text “GIFT48″ and your amount to 70070, or send donations to the Wish office labelled ‘Clare’s Walk’ – 77 East Road, London, N1 6AH.

26th July 2012