Retired teacher’s tough training regime for Lake District charity hike

Retired teacher Stuart Graves is pushing himself to the limit in preparation for a gruelling charity hike across the Lake District.

The 69-year-old is taking on the Keswick to Kendal (K2K) challenge to raise funds for a Cumbrian charity which supports unpaid carers who look after loved ones.

Stuart is a carer himself and hopes the hike, on Saturday, June 5, will highlight the struggle faced by thousands of unpaid carers across Cumbria who have looked after loved ones largely on their own through the pandemic.

Along the 30-mile route, he will be joined by other carers, all in their 60’s and 70s, who’ll do four mile stretches in relay.

“It’s getting closer now so I’m going through some tough training,” says Stuart who is from Beetham in South Cumbria. “I walk seven miles every day but every fourth day I do a half-marathon distance of 13 miles.

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Description automatically generatedThe retired special educational needs teacher says, “The hardest parts of the trek will be the slog up and out of Keswick, Dunmail Raise and the long, slow climb out of Windermere. But I’m confident I can complete the whole route – and the support of the other walkers will really help. I just hope the weather is kind.”

All the walkers know first-hand how important the work of the charity Carer Support South Lakes has been. They all care for loved ones.

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Stuart looks after his partner who has chronic fatigue syndrome. He also does volunteer work with Carer Support South Lakes running its Men’s Support Group.

“It has been a real battle for so many unpaid carers, struggling to look after their Cared For, on their own, for months on end,” explains Stuart. “The carers joining me on the K2K challenge will be walking to acknowledge that and to help make others more aware.”

The carer’s have a JustGiving page for donations. From Keswick they will take the A591 and pass Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere, Staveley and Kendal.

The K2K Walk takes place on June 5 – the Saturday between National Volunteers’ Week and National Carers Week.

They hope to raise thousands of pounds for Kendal-based Carer Support South Lakes which was formerly known as South Lakes Carers. The charity estimates there are more than 12,000 unpaid carers, of all ages, in the South Lakes alone.

It provides a wide range of services including one-to-one support to help a carer’s health and wellbeing. They also provide a sitting service, where volunteers step in to allow carers to take a break.

Mike Seaton, the CEO of Carer Support South Lakes, who will join Stuart for part of the walk, says: “It’s wonderful that our Men’s Support Group has been willing to take on such a hard challenge to raise funds and awareness. We would like to thank them deeply for the help they are giving.”

Six other carers will join Stuart on the K2K Walk: Chris Amos, Kevin Archer, Ian Croskell, Leon Gold Schneider, Peter Murdoch and Don Sillars. The men will come together as a group as they finish the walk at the Carer Support South Lakes Hub in Wainwright’s Yard, Kendal.