An Ellesmere Port couple popped north of the border for a charity trek and ended up raising more than £500 with blistered feet.
Emma and Ian Mayers opened up Amy’s Craft Arcade at The Arcade in Regent Street in 2015 after Ian was made redundant from W H Smith on Cheshire Oaks.
They decided to take part in the 100km Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek for the British Heart Foundation, after Ian had abseiled down Joseph Groome Towers for the Salvation Army and last year Amy shaved her head for six charities.
The 30 hour overnight trek between Scotland’s two largest cities is said to be one of the country’s hardest walks.
Emma explained: “This year our shop has been raising money for the British Heart Foundation so it was very fitting for us to do the trek.
“We are supporting the charity for a few reasons close to our heart including support for our fantastic friend Carla who sadly lost her beautiful, amazing mum Pauline. “She had heart failure and had a heart transplant but unfortunately never recovered.
“Also in memory of my two uncles Alec and Tommy who were unfortunately lost to heart attacks when I was younger which devastated me and my family and David Booth, my sister’s and brother’s dad who they lost when they were young and left my mum a widow in her early 20s.”
Ian and Emma started at 9pm on the Saturday in Linlithgow and walked through the night finishing in Edinburgh at 1.40pm on the Sunday afternoon.
Back in Ellesmere Port, Emma revealed: “We had heavy downpour for a lot of the trek and due to that some people on the trek lost toe nails.
“Ian had a bad inflamed knee and blisters and I had trench foot, blisters and sore legs. Due to that at the second check point we were advised by paramedics to quit but we carried on until the end. Two hundred and twenty people started the trek and only 88 of us finished.”
She added: “We are not only proud of ourselves for managing to complete the trek but also proud of all the people who started the trek whether they finished or not as it was very hard going especially with the bad weather.
“And I can’t thank ABC Paramedic Services enough for their help and the kind lady who tied my shoe laces 5km from the end because I couldn’t bend down to do it myself. We met some amazing and lovely people along the way also.”
A total of £502 has been donated by 24 supporters with a well wisher posting: “Well done to you both, you did amazing.”
Ian’s JustGiving page can be found at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ian-Mayers2017.
