Boston woman, 97, completes sponsored walk for homeless charity

A ninety-seven year-old woman with mobility issues has completed a sponsored walk for Centrepoint Outreach homeless charity.
Pat Wallis, 97, has raised hundreds for Centrepoint Outreach.Pat Wallis, 97, has raised hundreds for Centrepoint Outreach.
Pat Wallis, 97, has raised hundreds for Centrepoint Outreach.

Using her three-wheeled walker, Pat Wallis (pictured), strode two thirds of a mile near her Boston home to raise £845.60.

“It was very hard work for me as I shouldn’t think I normally walk more than a few hundred steps a day,” said Pat.

“I still feel like it’s all a dream. I thought I might raise about £200 on a good day - but the support from everyone has been overwhelming.”

Pat said she came up with the idea for the fundraising effort one day at Holy Trinity Church when she saw all the harvest donations of food which were set to be given to the homeless charity.

“If you were a church goer like me you might say the Holy Spirit nudged me that day in church as I sat there looking at all the Harvest gifts and put this idea of doing it to me,” she said. “It started off as a bit of a joke really, but then I thought ‘why not?’

“I wanted to do something to help, so I spoke to the reverend and I went from there.

“People knew I was only walking two thirds of a mile - but even strangers came to sponsor me.”

Liz Hopkins, CEO of Centrepoint Outreach told the Standard: “Centrepoint Outreach is so grateful to Pat for undertaking this challenge and raising such a fantastic sum to support our work with homeless and vulnerable people in Boston.

“It is down to the amazing support of individuals like Pat that the doors of Centrepoint Outreach are still open to those in need 30 years after it first became registered as a charity.”

Pat has never taken part in a fundraising walk before, but in her younger years she completed three sponsored scooter rides over the Humber Bridge for Christian Aid Week.

Pat added: “I couldn’t have done the walk without my friend Kay Wray who supported me along the way.”

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