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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 2 November 2016. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
BEN Richardson is so passionate about his home town and about walking that he decided to complete an 83 mile sponsored trek to celebrate his 50 th birthday.
Ben arrives at Coventry Cathedral.
Ben Richardson on the Oxford Canal at Braunston, Warwickshire.
Ben is a former member and now committee member of the town's youth club and is an active member of the church.
So, to raise money for both charities, he set off from Oxford, along the canal, to Coventry on Sunday 28 August.
He left with a blessing from Oxford's Christchurch College chaplain, the Revd Clare Hayns.
He completed the expedition at Coventry Cathedral on Saturday 3 September where he was greeted by the Dean, the Very Reverend John Witcombe and Canon Adrian Daffern, the Rector of Woodstock, and a Canon of Coventry. Ben said, "It was quite a challenge. I've walked the Oxfordshire Way and other long distance trails but this was the longest. I was lucky with the weather for most of the way. The Oxford Canal winds its way through the fabulous Oxfordshire and Warwickshire countryside, at its best at this time of the year. There was never a dull moment on the walk as I had the company of friends and family from time to time and I enjoyed passing the time of day with the many boat owners I met, some living the canal life, and others simply on holiday. It looks like we've made nearly £4,000 for the two charities. "Canon Adrian Daffern, the Rector of Woodstock, said, "We are enormously grateful to Ben for the efforts he has made to help us in our fundraising for our Church Restoration Fund. The planned improvements include better accessibility, new toilets, heating, lighting, and a much more flexible space for use by the whole community.
We're very proud of him for such a great achievement. "Youth Club Treasurer, Colin Carritt, added, "It was a fantastic effort by Ben and is very much appreciated. I walked with Ben for a day and struggled to keep up! The money Ben has raised will go towards our re-building fund. Our present Youth Club building is over fifty years old and was only a temporary structure when put up in the 1960s. We're now about halfway to our target figure for a purpose designed youth centre fit for the twenty-first century. "