Walk on the Wild Side!
Saturday 2 July 2011
 I
am writing just over a week after the completion of what was an event I
don't think the full impact of which has yet unfolded. During the
Walk on the Wild Side challenge 5 participants began the 30 mile
walk at Triscombe Stone at the ungodly hour of 6am, but there was a
wonderful sense of camaraderie right from the beginning, and we were
soon eating up those miles.
At the Windmill Pub in West Quantoxhead, the half-way point of the
walk, we were joined by 11 more participants for the 15 mile walk; the
fresh dose of enthusiasm this brought really helped everyone to keep
going, and only enhanced the already excellent group dynamic. At the
beginning of the day I had been extremely nervous that things would go
wrong, but as soon as we had got going this evaporated, and everyone
made my job as walk leader very easy.
There was a genuinely triumphant feeling when we arrived at the
finish at Fyne Court, and a number of people who had completed the 15
mile walk already expressed an interest in taking on the 30 mile walk
next time!
 Massive
congratulations must also go to Chris Quinn, who swam the length of the
English channel in stages via Taunton Pool during June in line with the
challenge. This is the second sponsored swim Chris has completed to
raise funds for Go Wild, Stay Well, and indicates his extreme
dedication to the cause.
I am reliably informed that this was the most successful one off
event ever held by Mind in Taunton and West Somerset in terms of funds
raised, with just over £4,000 being raised at the time of writing, and
more to come. However, I think the bigger impact lies in the fact that
every one of the 16 participants completed the challenge, had a
wonderful time doing so and felt like they were a part of something
truly special. For me, there were several important reminders that
emerged from the day, some of the key ones being:
- We are all capable of more than we realise, and can all flourish
in a supportive environment. Encouragement helps us to find our
inner strength.
- Everyone is unique in their own way, yet every two people have
at least some common ground; it’s a wonderful thing when a diverse
group of individuals are united in a common purpose.
- Being outdoors and active often brings out the very best in
people, and I personally never feel more at ease than in these
circumstances.
We started planning Walk on the Wild Side back in September
2010; the success of the event teaches us a valuable lesson that
planning is everything. Special thanks on the day go to volunteer walk
leaders Toria, Dave and Megan, staging post volunteers Bethan, John and
Dev, and to Dave T, who set up the celebratory reception at Fyne Court
at the finish, and drove the office Kia on the day, transporting
participants to different locations. Without your help, none of this
would ever have run so smoothly.
 Many
thanks also to Andy, Allan, Dave, Becky, Craig, Janet, Sue and Toria for
your help in organisation and attending regular meetings, which really
helped to keep things on track. Special thanks also to Tamsin and Ivana
from Fyne Court, Andy and Katy from AONB, and Gemma from the Forestry
Commission for making this possible. Finally, a massive thank you to all
of our wonderful participants; simply put, there would have been no
challenge without you.
So, I feel it’s fitting at this point to hand over to some of the
participants for their comments on the day:
 "I
found the whole day thoroughly enjoyable and can’t fault the
organisation of the event. I met a group of truly wonderful people who I
probably wouldn’t ever meet in my everyday life and found it touching
how under extreme circumstances relative strangers can come together to
help each other through. It was overall a very rewarding experience and
one which I will not think twice about participating in again."
"The Walk on the Wild Side challenge was a
wonderful day out in the Quantocks for a very good cause. All
participants completed their chosen distance, which was brilliant
considering some had never walked anywhere near the distance before.
There was a real sense of comradeship and strong team spirit from the
start (at 6am!) to the end, where the strain was beginning to show but
everyone stayed together and walked triumphantly into Fyne Court for
much needed tea and cake. The whole thing was very well organised, the
route was full of constantly changing scenery and at the end, everyone
had made a bunch of new friends. I can’t wait for the next one!
 "We
heard about the walk a short time before I was made redundant. We both
have family experience of mental health issues, and are enthusiastic
about the Go Wild, Stay Well project. It occurred to me that it
would be fitting to ask colleagues to donate to the project in lieu of a
leaving present. I was humbled and moved when I was handed nearly £200 –
far more than would have been raised in an ordinary leaving collection.
We really enjoyed the day apart, perhaps, from the sight of Andy limping
the last few miles, crippled with blisters. We particularly salute those
who did the full distance. A big thanks to Dave for the organisation and
leading on the day, and the excellent support from others."
 "It
was the start of 2011 when my social worker forwarded me information
regarding the Go Wild, Stay Well project. This was not something
I had heard of before. However, it was details about the Walk of the
Wild Side challenge that caught my attention; and it did so at a
particularly challenging time for me. I experience difficulties related
to borderline personality disorder. Understanding who I am and facing my
reality has been a particularly poignant struggle this year. I was aware
walking gave me something – walking somehow allows and enables me to
‘be’ and feel a little easier with my self. So, I pondered about whether
this challenge could be an achievable ‘positive’ when in fact, a lot
felt the complete opposite. Chaos, confusion and hopelessness are
immediate words that spring to mind to describe the personal mess I felt
within me.
 The
training itself, and the experiences whilst training, enabled me to
‘hang on in there’ whilst confronting deep-seated issues in
psychotherapy. Walking literally kept me going when I questioned the
possibility of giving up on life and myself. Raising sponsorship was
perhaps the biggest and scariest hurdle, but the most rewarding and
exciting one!
The day of the challenge, once the initial
nerves had subsided, was the BEST! The walk, the countryside, the ups
and the downs!, fellow walkers, even the weather was spot on… and to
raise money for the Go Wild, Stay Well project has meant a lot.
The steepest climbs were perhaps the best, or the most satisfying… and
this may reflect ones own journey in life, especially for anyone who
experiences mental health distress. It may be the biggest, seemingly
insurmountable and perilous of climbs which are the most painful. Yet
one can perhaps ‘survive’ these and gain a deeper sense and acceptance
of self as a result.
A minute belief, albeit questionable, in
yourself that you may be able to walk X number of miles…. one step at a
time (no matter how small) at your own pace… and pausing along the way…
that’s all it took (as well as a source of consistent and reliable
support - all thanks to my social worker!)
It was a great challenge – wholly worthwhile!"
 We
intend to hold this challenge again in 2012, and will soon be having an
initial meeting to commence the planning for this. It is likely to hold
a similar format to this year, but may be in a different location.
Either way, this event was a wonderful success, and was definitely up
there with the best days of my life so far.
Dave Urwin (Challenge Leader)
We can still accept donations until early October: please visit:
www.bmycharity.com/walkonthewildside or send a cheque payable to
Mind in Taunton and West Somerset to us at The Market Building, Canal
Road, Taunton, TA1 1PN.
For more information:
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