Margate dad-of-one Owen Young, who with pal Kalel Stevens completed a 30-mile trek from Dane Valley to Dover Castle last month to raise funds for the 1st Garlinge Scout Group, is now taking on an even bigger challenge.
Owen will tackle a 100 mile walk from Dane Valley to London, aiming to complete in seven days with a fundraising target of £5000. He is hoping to once again be accompanied by 20-year-old Kalel.
The money is again for the 1st Garlinge Scout Group with Squirrels leader Owen saying it will help with much-needed renovations and improvements to the Scout hut and grounds.
He said: “I’m a Squirrels leader at 1st Garlinge Scout Group, and I’ve seen first-hand what Scouting can give children and young people.
“It’s somewhere they can make friends, build confidence, learn new skills, try things they’ve never done before, have adventures and create memories that can stay with them for years.
“But giving children those opportunities also means having somewhere safe, secure and suitable to do it and our Scout hut needs investment.”
Among the improvements Owen hopes to help fund are:
- New doors for the Scout hut
- Upgrading the toilets
- Giving the kitchen a makeover
- Improving the fencing to make the grounds more secure.
- General renovations, repairs and upgrades to the hut and site.
Owen, and hopefully Kalel, will set off on the 100 mile journey this Wednesday (August 19).
Owen said: “The planned route itself is 96.1 miles, but I want the challenge to genuinely be 100 miles, so I’ll make up the extra distance either during the journey or once I reach London.
“The route takes me through Thanet, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, Oare, Conyer, Iwade, Medway, Gravesend and Dartford, before heading into London through Bexley and Greenwich, then Bermondsey, Tower Bridge and Southwark, finishing around Waterloo/London Eye.
“Based on the Dover walk, I averaged around 2.5mph, so I think there’s a decent chance of getting it done in around four days. However, I’ve allowed myself up to seven days because I’m very aware that walking 25 miles one day one might sound perfectly doable, but by day two or three when everything hurts, another 25 miles might not sound quite as appealing.
“ I’m going to see how my body handles it and keep pushing as far as I reasonably can each day. I also know what I’m like – if I get towards the end and there are only another five or ten miles between me and the London Eye, I can’t imagine myself stopping for the night. It’ll probably be a case of “we’ve come this far, we’re finishing it!”
“I really want people to feel like they’re part of the journey this time as well. My plan is to post an update roughly every five miles, showing where I am, how far I’ve travelled, how I’m getting on and probably the increasingly questionable condition of my feet.
“I’m currently sharing the fundraiser in lots of Facebook community groups along the route to try to get the different communities involved. Once I’m actually walking though, I’m probably not going to have the time or energy to keep posting every update into loads of different groups. That’s why I’m asking anyone who wants to follow the journey to follow my Facebook profile, as that’s where all the updates during the walk will go: https://www.facebook.com/owen.young.169
“I’m also encouraging people who live along the route to come out and meet me, say hello or even join me for a section of the walk if they fancy it.
“I think it would be amazing to meet different people and communities as I make my way across Kent and into London.
“The main goal is to raise as much money as possible for the Scouts, but I’d also love the journey itself to inspire people a little bit. It’s a pretty ridiculous distance, and I know there are going to be some brilliant moments and probably some absolutely horrible ones too!
“I want people to see the whole thing rather than just a photo of me leaving Thanet and another one of me somehow standing at the London Eye several days later.”
Find the fundraiser at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/100-miles-to-london-for-1st-garlinge-scouts
Thanet pals conquer 30 mile trek from Margate to Dover Castle in aid of 1st Garlinge Scout Group
