We did it… and there were points where that wasn't guaranteed!
Several of the Far'n'Beyond team joined the inaugural Great Leeds Walk to help raise funds for Leeds Children's Charity at Lineham Farm.
Leeds Children's Charity at Lineham Farm is dedicated to brightening children's lives by providing unforgettable breaks and valuable learning experiences, offering respite from difficult and sometimes abusive home lives.
As a team, along with a few friends and family, we raised money to help children enjoy a break at Lineham Farm, a place filled with adventure, fun, and learning in a safe and happy environment.
Starting at the Lineham Farm, the first ten miles took us through Arthington Quarry, Bramhope, Otley Chevin Forest Park and Yeadon Banks near Leeds Bradford Airport.
It was great to explore some of the fabulous locations on our doorstep, including the geological marvels of rock formations formed 315 million years ago and the enchanting woodland and panoramic views of Lower Wharfedale.
There is no doubt that Otley Chevin Forest Park was the first and possibly the most gruelling part of the walk, with the ancient steps of 'Jacobs Ladder' taking us 200m to the top of 'Surprise View'.
Whether this led to slight delirium, it was at this point that we took a slight detour in the wrong direction. However, we were rewarded as we walked up Yeadon High Street alongside a vintage car and bike rally for the launch of Yeadon Carnival.
The first ten miles were hot, rainy and tough, with challenging terrain and a frightening number of steps! I don't think any of us truly appreciated how far ten miles was before we arrived at the first checkpoint.
At this point, having completed their ten-mile goal, Gavin, Sam, and Laura left with words of motivation for the rest of the team who moved to the next phase of the walk around the perimeter of Leeds Bradford Airport.
As we discovered, the 'Bird Cage' is a very muddy, very narrow, and overgrown path. Luckily, Adam stacking it, coating himself with mud, and the planes landing and taking off provided humour and distractions for the team.
We continued to Horsforth and 'The Old Soap Factory'. To be honest, none of us remembers seeing the 'Soapy Joe's' landmark, but we do remember the second checkpoint as it had chairs and a coffee just off the Leeds ring road, about 16 miles from the start.
With another ten miles ahead of us, we moved through Daffy Woods in Lawnswood, The Hollies, Adel Woods and the Meanwood Valley Trail, where we saw the Seven Arches Aqueduct.
It was around here, the reality of how much harder this was becoming apparent. We knew it would be difficult and we would have to push ourselves but following a few wrong turns and an understanding of how we felt after the first ten miles, with no endpoint in sight, it was really becoming a physical and mental challenge.
Luckily, one of the walkers in our group had speakers and a Spotify playlist, so we knuckled down and carried along the Dales Way Link.
Our journey took us to some lovely, picturesque places, including (following another wrong turn) the Emmerdale set, although we were quickly warned off by site security before we got too close and went too far off the map.
Walking around Eccup Reservoir was the final landmark on our route, which was a lot bigger than any of us thought, but our attention was on the ground, which had been hoofed by several bulls who were keeping a close eye on us as we delicately made our way across the fields, before the final phase of the walk.
There were more challenges along the walk, but the final few miles were increasingly silent, with occasional words of encouragement from the team. I think all of us will agree that no matter how prepared we thought we were – this was a challenge well beyond our expectations.
Over ten hours from our 6.30am arrival, walking a distance similar to that between Leeds and Doncaster, we finally returned to Lineham Farm where the smiles and gratitude of the charity's organising team were warmly received.
An absolutely huge congratulations to Penny, Kate, Chris, Abi, Karla and Adam for such an epic achievement, walking in total well over 27 miles to raise money for such an important charity.
Your incredible fundraising efforts will make an amazing difference to the young people we support; we really can’t thank you enough 🌈💚 thank you for being challenge champions and for brightening children’s lives, you all absolutely smashed it, I hope you’re feeling very proud of your amazing achievements.
Megan, Leeds Childrens' Charity
We are so grateful for the donations from friends and family; they really helped us cross the finish line. In the morning, Phil talked of his own experiences in care and how his most powerful memory was from a week's holiday as a youngster.
The money we raised will help Leeds Children's Charity continue providing lasting positive experiences for children from around the area.
Well done Team FNB!
