Call goes out for Sutherland folk to rally in support of fundraising round-Britain walker

Sutherland residents are being asked to show support to a woman who is now in the county as part of her fundraising walk round the coast of Ireland and Britain.

Karen Penny hopes to raise around £100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK through her ‘Penny Rolls On’ challenge. She has already raised £52,651.

She relies on people in the areas she walks through for help with food, accommodation, clothes washing and a safe place to pitch up. She is also keen for company on her walk.

Karen is understood to be in the Durness area today and expects to walk from Eriboll to Tongue tomorrow; Tongue to Bettyhill on Sunday; and Bettyhill to Portskerra on Monday, before crossing the county line into Caithness on Tuesday and reaching Thurso on Wednesday

The mother-of-one has already been walking for almost a year, having set off from Southgate on the Gower Peninsula, Wales, on January 14, 2019.

She was inspired to undertake the 20,000 mile challenge by the loss of both her mother and father-in-law, Alma and Kinsley, to Alzheimer’s.

During her walk Karen has raised awareness of the illness by visiting schools, care homes and dementia choirs as well as giving talks to local organisations.

Anyone who is able to support Karen can contact her via Facebook page.

A spokesman for Karen said: “If you here Karen is coming to your area, could you let us know if you are able to help her in anyway. It would be wonderful if she did not have to weather many storms in her small, one-man ten. All help support and encouragement is gratefully accepted. Even a chat, a toot of a horn helps give encouragement and a boos.”

For more information visit Penny’s Facebook page and to donate, visit her Justgiving page.

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