Frome mum treks 110km to say thank you to ‘lifesaving’ local charities

A LOCAL mother and her friend have raised over £3,200 for two local charities by walking 110km of the South West coastal path. 

Sarah Lane, from Babington near Frome, and her friend Jenny Field, set themselves the challenge to help celebrate two milestone birthdays that total 110 years – Jenny’s 60th in August, and Sarah’s 50th this month 

It took them six days to complete the challenge, and a total of £3,212 was raised, which has been split equally between Nova Sports & Coaching and Move the Mind. 

Both charities support families with children who have hidden disabilities, and they are both charities close to Sarah’s heart as they support her son, 10-year old Nick, who lives with autism, ADHD and proprioceptive dysfunction. 

“They are such special places,” said Sarah about the two charities, “they mean that as a family we can access things that make us feel a little more ‘typical’. Having them available is a lifesaver. And both were incredible support during lockdown. 

“Without Alex and Jenny from Nova Sports and Coaching providing 1:1 regular weekly sessions for Nick throughout the pandemic, it would have been a terrifying experience. 

“For many children with autism, changes in routine feel like life and death – having the routine of every Thursday morning with Alex made Nick feel safe and that the world made sense.  

“And Nicole at Move the Mind always has her farm gate open for Nick, which means he has some freedom to wander when he needs to calm and regulate his emotions/senses.” 

About the 110km walking challenge, Sarah told Frome Times, “It was hell! There were moments when the path became more like boulder climbing – there was one moment when I genuinely thought we were done for!  

“We had done our research beforehand and we knew that the walk would be quite strenuous, but we hadn’t realised how hairy parts of it can get. We were aiming to raise £1,000 for the charities, so to raise over £3,000 was amazing.” 

The two friends presented the two charities with the money raised at a special ceremony last week. 

Director of Nova Sports & Coaching, Alex Johnson, said, “What Sarah and Jenny have done together is quite staggering both in achievement and success. They worked so hard for so many days to complete their epic challenge and in the meantime raised a phenomenal amount of money to help local young people with additional needs.  

“We have worked with Sarah’s son, Nick, for many years now and their donation means kids like Nick will continue to benefit from quality, inclusive provision from organisations such as Nova Sports and Move the Mind. You ladies smashed it!” 

Director of Move the Mind, Nicole Gillard, said, “What an incredible achievement Jenny and Sarah, thank you so much for your donation to Move the Mind. We rely on donations to keep the farm going.  

“Currently we are fundraising to install electric and lighting at the farm to enable us to help more children and families in the evenings. We are so nearly there and this donation will help a huge amount.  

“Move the Mind helps children with autism and other neurocognitive conditions to heal sensory dysfunctions and to gain direct communication. The approach used is to follow the child’s interests, tailored to their individual needs using the animals in a therapeutic way to help gain self-esteem, confidence and develop the ability to express themselves.” 

For more information about Move the Mind, who are always looking for volunteers, visit their website: www.movethemind.net 

For more information about Nova Sports & Coaching, visit www.novasportsandcoaching. co.uk. And there is still time to support Sarah and Jenny, and donate to both causes – visit their JustGiving page for more information: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sarah-jenny-110k