Epic 500-mile walk continues for plucky 82-year-old Ribble Valley fundraiser

A super-fit Ribble Valley pensioner (82) is continuing to raise funds by walking 500 miles to cover the thousands of pounds of extra costs the Ribble Rivers Trust has incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Now, plucky Philip Lord has decided to yet again extend his goal, which was originally 100 miles, as he aims to hit a mammoth 500 miles before finally retiring his walking boots and finishing the gruelling challenge!

Each day (except for Sundays when he does it twice!) Philip Lord is walking from his home in Cow Ark and completing a 4.7-mile circuit of the area, known as "The Ring of Whitewell".

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Philip, who is chairman of the RRT - a charity dedicated to improving and protecting the rivers and streams of the River Ribble catchment, had initially set himself a goal of walking 100 miles, but he quickly surpassed that and is now aiming to complete his charity challenge by carrying on with his daily walks until he reaches 500 miles.

There is no stopping Philip and Freddie!There is no stopping Philip and Freddie!
There is no stopping Philip and Freddie!

Alongside his trusted four-legged friend Freddie, Philip who has braved the cold and wintry weather and enjoyed his daily walks, has so far raised £3,265.

In total Philip, who is married to Joan and has seven grandchildren, is hoping to raise £7,000, which would cover most of the additional costs that RRT has incurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so he is almost halfway there!

Speaking about his challenge so far, the father-of-three, said: "By this week Freddie and I have reached 300 miles and have walked 63 times around the ring at Whitewell, which was my first target. Donations are growing, but we still need to do more, so I am aiming to do another 200 miles in four weeks. It's quite a demanding schedule for this 82-year-old, but I am determined to carry on. Hopefully, the weather will continue to improve - the first curlews have arrived, a sign every year that spring is on its way. Freddie is doing well, but does need an odd day off to have a free run off the lead.

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"Over the 45 years that Joan and I have lived at Cow Ark, we have noticed a great change in weather patterns. One of the many things that the Trust is doing is planting many more trees to help combat climate change, along with the help of our dedicated volunteers."

Anyone wishing to support Philip in his fundraising mission is asked to CLICK HERE

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