A WALKER visited Bracknell during his fundraising challenge this month.
David Matthews, from Knoydart Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, dropped by a local Samaritans’ branch on his 6,000 mile walk on Monday last week.
He stopped at the Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot and Districts branch, on Mount Pleasant, for a refreshment break.
Branch director, Barbara Denyer, branch trustee Nick Tuggey and other volunteers welcomed him outside the centre, where he enjoyed a cup of tea and home-made gingerbread.
Named The Listening Walk, Mr Matthews aims to raise funds and awareness for the Samaritans, a charity offering listening and support to people who are going through a difficult time.
Despite taking a break during the lockdown, he is back on his feet working his way from Plymouth, through Reading and Guildford.
He will also be visiting all 201 branches across the country as part of his walking challenge.
Mr Matthews said: “The walk is raising awareness across the country. The most vulnerable, in their hour of greatest need, will have access to another person 24 hours of every day.
“We all have mental health – most can deal with it but any of us can at any time have things happen to us and it will be the love and kindness of other people who are the safety net to catch us when we fall.”
He added: “So many people have shared their experiences of lowest ebbs, times when they thought they would never be happy again but their lives have been changed because somebody somewhere listened.”
David’s journey can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching for ‘The Listening Walk’.
