Oldham Hope Walk, report by Carol Seville

See the full album for the 2012 Odlham Hope Walk

'We had another fantastic walk this second year, 2012. The weather was beautiful, we could show off our Trust t-shirts and the muddy field wasn’t so muddy after all.

I am so pleased that we managed to beat last years total as we had 55 walkers this year. I should say a massive thank you to our special friends Gail and James who travelled from Dalkeith in Scotland just to walk this year. And also to Joshua’s school friends who worked really hard in getting sponsors and for wanting to walk this year in memory of their friend.

Like last year, my lovely Nephew Anthony was my walking partner and he helped to give out sweets and t-shirts before the walk started and helped to make sure that everyone found their way and had enough sustenance to keep them going.

We increased the length of the walk this year, but the scenery is so beautiful that it really doesn’t feel like a 5 mile journey. Many people mentioned that we easily forget that we have such gorgeous walks on our doorstep but we rarely take advantage of them, and to enjoy the walk together and for such a fantastic reason makes it all the more special.

The walk took us along Fairbottom Branch Canal, passed Park Bridge Heritage Centre, into the heart of the countryside, the woodlands and back to Daisy Nook and eventually returning to the canal.

Several people stopped me along the way to ask the reason for the walk and it would be fantastic if they went home and found out more about the charity and discussed it with friends at home.

Unlike last year, I didn’t take a wrong turning but despite giving out maps, some walkers ended up ringing me as they had taken an incorrect path, and so Anthony and I always seemed to end up at the back!! Weirdly, those people were members of my own family, so they really let the family side down. We all made it eventually, though, and everyone seemed to have a lovely time. Joshua’s Grandma Seville (Brenda) was nominated walk leader as once again she had helped me plan the route. Thank you so much, Brenda, for helping me and for keeping everyone safe. She also said that she feels that Joshua and Aaron kept the weather bright for us and that they walked with us to keep us strong.

We all knew that this year’s walk was going to be very different emotionally to last year and that proved to be the case. There were tears before, after and during the walk but we did spend the time talking about our two special boys, Joshua and Aaron.

I think, for me, what was really obvious this year, was that everyone walked in memory of our boys. That isn’t to say that raising money wasn’t important. But it was clear that everyone walked to think about Joshua and Aaron, to remember them as special boys who are important to everyone who walked, and the walk was very much in their memory and quite rightly so.'

Click to see more photos of the 2011 Oldham Hope Walk

Read more about how the walk was inspired.

Pictured below (middle): Joshua at last year's hope walk