Oxford woman takes on 200-mile walk for spinal injury charity
The challenge is raising money for free rehabilitation sessions
A woman from Oxford is starting a more than 200-mile walk today to raise money for people recovering from spinal cord injuries.
Jo Godfrey, Director of Finance and Operations at Neurokinex, will set off from the charity’s centre in Bradley Stoke, near Bristol, this morning.
Her route will take her to other centres in Hemel Hempstead and Gatwick, with the aim of completing the challenge in eight days.
The walk is fundraising for Neurokinex's Step Up programme, which offers rehabilitation to people who have recently suffered a spinal cord injury.
Jo admitted the challenge turned out to be considerably bigger than she first expected.
“I don’t think I fully appreciated what the distance was going to be," she said.
“Initially I thought it was about 160-ish miles, and then once I mapped it out in detail, it's somewhere over 200 miles.”
Helping people after life-changing injuries
Jo helped set up Neurokinex after her friend and colleague Harvey, CEO of the charity, suffered a spinal cord injury.
"Harvey came out of the spinal unit and there literally was nowhere to go and there was certainly nowhere to go that gave you something free of charge," she said.
"We've tried to fill that initial void."
The Step Up programme gives eligible people six free rehabilitation sessions.
Jo said the benefits can go beyond helping them physically, with centres also giving clients and their families an opportunity to meet others facing similar circumstances.
“People will come into a centre on their first Step Up day, super anxious, feeling very self-conscious and not really knowing what to expect,” she said.
“Typically after that first hour of rehab, they’re leaving with a big smile on their face and looking forward to that next hour that they’re going to be with us.”
Fundraising target
Each place on the Step Up programme costs around £500 to provide, according to Jo, with Neurokinex doing another fundraising challenge to help protect the service.
She estimates more than 50 people a year access the scheme, and hundreds have been supported overall.
Jo is hoping to raise around £5,000 through her walk.
“I am very nervous,” she said. “But I’m really looking forward to getting started."
She is keeping parts of her schedule flexible in case she is able to cover more ground early in the challenge and give herself extra time as tiredness sets in.
“The aim is to, by hook or by crook, finish the following Friday in the Gatwick centre,” she said.