Nearly 3000 people joined Cafod’s Big Lent Walk campaign to help vulnerable communities fight poverty, raising more than £243,000 between them by the end of the Easter weekend with the total still increasing daily. In all, those taking part walked more than 353,000 kilometres.
Clergy that took part included Fr Tony Convery, 75, now retired, who was formerly parish priest of St Edward the Confessor Golders Green, who raised £2,446. “I’m really quite surprised by the success of it,” he said.
More than 600 schools nationwide, nearly a third of all Catholic schools in England and Wales, signed up to take part in the challenge, pledging to walk 200k over the 40 days of Lent.
Nationwide, that represents more than 250,000 pupils. The pupils joined thousands of other individuals, friend groups, families to raise money and tackle poverty in communities around the world.?
Pupils at St Clare’s Primary School in Leicestershire walked five laps around the school playground every morning. All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield took their Cafod banner on a school trip to Seville and walked their kilometres there.
Parishioners of St Anthony’s Parish Broadstone walked the Castlemain Trailway and met up with others from Poole, Westmoors and Wimborne in Dorset on Saturday 25 March, raising £250. Sacred Heart and Our Lady’s Parishes Leicester also held one big walk at Watermead Country Park in Leicester and raised £1,681.
All Saints Anfield, pictured in Seville, took part in the fundraiser walk for Cafod. Credit: Cafod
Christine Allen, Cafod director, told The Tablet: “It has been particularly wonderful to see so many schools take part in Cafod’s Big Lent Walk. I continue to be inspired by the generosity and kindness of children, who time and time again show the rest of us the true meaning of Catholic social teaching and how to care for our sisters and brothers in need. We know it’s tough financially at the moment, but we are incredibly grateful to all our generous supporters, especially those who took part in the Big Lent Walk, for continuing to support us to tackle global poverty.”
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