Phil raises a glass to his fundraising feat (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)
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Phil raises a glass to his fundraising feat
12:16pm Thursday 20th September 2012 in News
A CIVIL servant who took a career break to help people around the world now aims to make a difference closer to home.
Phil Beswick, aged 42, has spent the last 12 months travelling around south-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
He did voluntary work in each country, which included helping to build a house in Sri Lanka, working on a cattle farm in Australia and teaching English in Thailand, Cambodia and Bali.
He now wants to support people in his home town and will tackle an 800km walk across Spain to raise money for Bury Hospice.Mr Beswick, from Holcombe Brook, will set off on Monday and hopes to complete the Camino de Santiago pilgrims’ walk in 30 days.
He said: “While travelling, I learned an awful lot about how other people in the world live.
“It made me realise that life is short and I wanted to help where I could.
“It also put my own problems into perspective and I wanted to do something truly different with my life.
“I heard about the historic pilgrims’ walk while I was travelling and it planted a seed. I have friends and family who work and volunteer at the hospice and I wanted to do something to help.
“At the same time, I found out that a friend and my next-door neighbour had both been diagnosed with cancer and they were both treated in hospices.”
Mr Beswick has dubbed the challenge ‘Boots, Beer and Bury Hospice’, and has been walking, running and cycling to train for it.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to the walk and meeting other people who are following the same route. It will be fantastic, especially because I’m raising money for charity.The walk will be the end of a fantastic year of self-achievement, challenge and change for me.”
Mr Beswick plans to raise more money for the hospice by self-publishing a book about his year of travelling, named Soaring With Eagles, Flying With Turkeys?
He has already written 60,000 words and the sponsored walk in Spain will be the final chapter.
Five per cent of the money from the sale of the book will be donated to the hospice.
To sponsor Mr Beswick: visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/bootsbeerandburyhospice.
