Former Norwich footballer to take on trek for East Anglia's Children's Hospices
The Canaries legend is trekking between Norfolk and Suffolk
A Norwich City legend is swapping his football boots for walking shoes as part of a gruelling charity challenge.
Grant Holt is trekking 44 miles from Ipswich to The Nook, in Framingham Earl, to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
He plans to set off at 5pm on Tuesday, 8th August and walk through the night before arriving at EACH’s hospice in Norfolk.
In advance of his challenge, he visited The Nook and was given a tour:
“I already knew lots about EACH and the incredible work it does but visiting The Nook was a real experience,” said Grant.
“It’s such an amazing, impressive place and much bigger and better than the old hospice at Quidenham.
“Coming here has definitely inspired me and I felt even more motivated after being told EACH needs to raise £8,600 from voluntary income per day, per hospice to keep The Nook, The Treehouse (in Ipswich) and Milton (near Cambridge) going.
“It needs to raise £6.7 million a year from voluntary donations – and another £7.8 million from its shops – and they’re incredible figures, especially when you consider only 15 per cent comes from statutory sources.
“That’s far less than an adult hospice, which is insane, and why I’m determined to do whatever I can, and raise as much as possible.
“The walk is going to be tough but it’s always good to challenge yourself and do difficult things, especially for such an amazing cause.
“I’ve got 80,000 Twitter followers and if everyone chipped in just £1, we’d have £80,000. How amazing would that be?”
What inspired him to do this?
Grant told us that EACH doesn't receive enough financial support for the work they do:
"People think they get funded... They need around ÂŁ7,000 a day to run what they do... The support and work that goes in behind the scenes is absolutely phenomenal."
Grant has visited EACH on several occasions and said he was touched by what he saw:
"When you see what EACH do and what they provide and some of the struggles that the families and the kids go through- to walk in a gruelling manor, and get your feet blistered is nothing, you'll get through it."
"Any donation is important"
Grant told us he doesn't have a set amount in mind for his fundraising target and is just hoping people can give what they can:
"I am aware that times are tight at the moment and people are struggling and there's not much money floating around at the moment but don't think that ÂŁ1 won't help, because it will.
"It's (the walk is) raising awareness but also - I want to get as much money as possible.
"I will do the walk regardless of whether I've got ÂŁ1 or ÂŁ100 it all goes towards a fantastic cause and that's why I am doing it."