General Manager Dan Rushton, 37, and his assistant, Owen Dootson, 28, endured a gruelling 84 miles of adverse weather conditions with just a few supplies, relying solely on kind-hearted passers-by and generous hotel owners for their food, drink and accommodation.
The dedicated duo shared their journey from beginning to end on their Facebook page and have now raised over £3,000 to help Derian House care for the 450 seriously ill children it looks after.
Dan, who will leave the Willows Pub this month after three years as manager, said: “The walk was very long, cold, and windy, but it was spectacular, a real adventure! We’ve both really enjoyed it.
“We’ve never done anything like this before, it hasn’t been easy. We had to rely on the kindness of strangers to make sure we had somewhere to eat and sleep at night.
“Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way – the hospitality up north is incredible, especially after how hard COVID hit.
“We’re just two guys who want to make a difference and to help Derian House continue all the amazing work they do for their young people.”
Ellie Smith, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Dan and Owen for choosing to support Derian.
“As a charity, we rely on the kindness of people, just like Dan and Owen, who go out of their way to raise vital funds so we can continue to provide care for our children and young people, and their families.”
Dan and Owen reached their final Roman fort in Wallsend on Saturday 26th February. You can take a look at their route and find more information about their fundraiser on their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Willows-Derian-House
