Twyford mum to walk 100km for hospice charity

A mother will walk 100 kilometres for charity as she bids to raise money for children and young adult hospice Helen and Douglas House.

Jo McGuinness, 31, who lives in Twyford with her husband Glenn, will walk from Putney to Henley between Saturday, September 10, and Sunday, September 11, as part of the Thames Path Challenge.

The overnight walk raises money for a number of charities, including the Alzheimer’s Society, Great Ormond Street and Cancer Research UK.

Jo, a Muscular Distrophy UK charity worker, decided to take the challenge in memory of her sister, who had cerebral palsy and died aged two.

She will walk overnight with her friend Jemma King, 42, and the pair hope to beat their fundraising goal of £800.

They have received donations from family members but hope other people will help give money to the cause.

Jo was inspired to walk by her mother, who works for the Oxford-based Helen and Douglas House, which helps people aged up to 35 with life-threatening conditions to live their lives to the fullest extent possible.

She said: “We hope to finish by midday on Sunday.

“We will set off on Saturday from Putney at 8am and aim to arrive in Henley by 10am Sunday.

“You don’t know what will happen though so by the middle of Sunday would be good.”

The walk organisers set up a series of rest stops on the way.

Nonetheless, it is a gruelling challenge to those unprepared.

Jo added: “I chose it because it is relatively flat.”

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/JoAndJemmaThamesPath100km and search for Jo McGuinness to donate to their walk.