50k in a day, for Zagare’s Youth

50km in a day, for Zagare's Youth

I was meant to be taking part in a walking challenge in the UK this Spring, but because of the current travel restrictions, I have changed my plans to Zagare instead.

I have set myself the challenge to walk 50km in one day, on Saturday 24th April, and I have divided my route into 3 'laps' of 16.67 km, and invited the local community to join me for 1, 2 or 3 of the laps.

Why have I set myself this challenge?

The group of friends with whom I was due to walk, I met as a Venture Scout, 25 years ago (!), and through the many unforgettable and amazing experiences we had together, challenging ourselves both physically and mentally, we gained life skills that we still carry with us today.

Yes, we’ve all been affected by the Pandemic, but I do feel that the Youth age group have in many ways been most adversely affected, during the time they develop and change so fast, and I will be doing this walk as a sponsored event, to raise money for the Zagare Youth Club; “Spalvotas Veidas”.

In 2016 I re-established a Youth Club here in Zagare, with the long-term dream of turning it into an open Youth Centre, and hopefully to provide a place for young people here to have some of the opportunities that I had when growing up. With the help of some fantastic local people, putting in their time and energy writing funding applications, we have so far been able to renovate the building, and starting this year, we will have a part-time Youth Worker.

However, our building is still just a shell, albeit a warm one, and I’d love to raise the money to buy furnishings, a simple kitchen, and to fund activities such as workshops, visits and visitors to inspire them.

I know there are so many people who are affected in so many ways by the Pandemic, and so many worthy causes out there, but if you feel you are able to support this challenge, I’ll do my best to ensure it makes a real difference to young people, so that they can in some small way get back some of the experiences and opportunities they have lost out on, socially and mentally, and to hopefully fulfil their potential to become the inspirers of the future.