Care staff to walk 54 miles in 24 hours for charity

Staff from home care provider Blackwood are getting ready to embark on The Caledonian Challenge in June by walking 54 miles within a 24-hour timeframe.

The group of nine will be making the 86km journey to raise money for independent charity Foundation Scotland, a charity that works to strengthen local communities by funding community-led programmes.

Blackwood provides care for people across Scotland in their own homes and also provide housing for people with disabilities.

The route will take the fundraisers through Mugdock Country Park, past Loch Lomond and eventually finish at Gordon Square in Fort William.

Helen MacDonald, head of HR and organisational development at Blackwood, has taken part in the Caledonian Challenge before and said: “The Challenge is an incredible experience, and a great way to raise money for charity.

“It also helps build team relationships across the organisation, and everyone will be joining forces to support us.

“On the day of the challenge it will be great to meet other teams from very different sectors – which will also be a great way to spread the news about Blackwood.

“Getting out and walking is fantastic for your health and makes you feel fantastic, and the camaraderie is really good for building relationships across the business and gaining a better understanding about the different departments.

“Most importantly we’re thrilled to be raising money for an extremely worthy cause.”

Leslie Carnegie, another Blackwood staff member, described the challenges facing the group and said: “It’s a good group that are involved, and we all have similar senses of humour which is great! “However the training has been very tough in parts. The 54 miles is really daunting, so I’m trying not to think about that too much and just focus on what we’re achieving.”

As well as providing care and housing opportunities, Blackwood has created a networking site and online community run by and for disabled people and those with other support needs to act as a forum where they can share opinions and experiences.