Rotherham care staff go the extra mile to raise £2,000 for charity

Care home staff from Rotherham have raised £2,000 for two charities after a sponsored walk turned into a much bigger challenge than expected.

Colleagues from Moorgate Care Village joined staff from across Park Lane Healthcare to walk along the Cleveland Way from Hayburn Wyke Inn to Robin Hood’s Bay.

The walk was organised by Stephanie Pyle, wellbeing coordinator at The Hall care home in Thornton-le-Dale, with colleagues from Moorgate Care Village and Park Lane Healthcare clinical director Lynn Flynn among those taking part.

The group had planned to walk seven miles in around three hours, but several wrong turns meant they ended up covering approximately 10 miles over eight hours.

Despite the unexpected detours, the team completed the challenge and raised £1,000 in sponsorship for Dementia Forward and Archie’s Cancer Journey.

After hearing about the extra miles covered, Park Lane Healthcare decided to match the amount raised, bringing the total to £2,000, with each charity receiving £1,000.

Lynn Flynn, clinical director at Park Lane Healthcare, said: "We knew we were signing up for a challenge, but I don’t think any of us expected seven miles to turn into 10 or for it to take eight hours!

"There were plenty of wrong turns, but also lots of laughter, and everyone kept going.

"Raising £1,000 made it worthwhile and having that doubled by Park Lane Healthcare was a fantastic way to recognise everyone’s efforts."

Chris Lane, chairman of Park Lane Healthcare, said: "When we heard they had accidentally turned a seven-mile walk into 10 miles and spent eight hours completing it, we thought that extra effort deserved some extra support from us too.

"We decided to double what they had raised, taking the total to £2,000. It was a brilliant effort by everyone involved and means two very worthwhile charities will each receive £1,000."