Winton walks 4 fun 4 water

Howard Lake | 3 August 2006 | Newswire

3 August 2006
Winton Walk for Water – August 2006 FINAL.doc
On Saturday September 2nd Winton Estate at Pencaitland is launching a new 12 mile (20km) network of walks created over the last two years by Winton’s foresters for the local community. The paths run from Pencaitland through undulating East Lothian countryside and provide fascinating perspectives on local wildlife and history.
Running from 10.30am to 4.30pm on the 2nd from the Tyne Bridge in the centre of Pencaitland, the Winton Family Fun Day is also a fundraising event for two very hands-on charities: Mercy Ships, a global charity which partners with local communities in West Africa to construct water wells and sanitation as the basic requirement for health and wellbeing, as well as providing healthcare and education on hospital ships and on land; and the Haddington-based Bridge Centre where, amongst other community activities, music-making, motorbike maintenance, off-road riding, and other valuable life skills are taught to young people. £125,000 has already been pledged for Mercy Ships’ water supply projects in Ghana but further funds are needed to complete the ‘Mainstay’ water and sanitation programme.
Family, individual, school and company sponsors are needed for the 6.6 mile (10km) sponsored walk carrying 1.5 litres of water which starts at 11 am (finishing by 2pm) on the 2nd, a three-legged race also carrying water, and for handmade wooden carvings including 30 giant toadstools or ‘Pixie Perches’. The distance of the walk reflects how far millions of people walk to collect clean water everyday.
David Costello, Depute Provost East Lothian Council, who has already enjoyed strolling along these paths, says: It is an absolutely superb path network that has been set up. It is exceptional and fits in well with East Lothian’s strategy for encouraging personal fitness and makes it easy for families to appreciate our beautiful countryside.”
Sir Francis Ogilvy, who developed these walks with the help of the Winton Estate forestry team, adds: The Winton Walks combine old and new routes over Winton Estate and around the village. There are short ones, long ones, flat ones and bumpy ones, some for the dog and some just for its owner! Assistance in creating the paths and signage has come from The Community Council, The Leader Plus European Fund and the hard work of Winton’s multi-talented forestry team who have also made many of the wooden carvings and other creations. This big project would not have been possible without all their help.”
Walkers will have four routes from 1.5 miles to 6.6 miles to choose from: a nature-based scavenger hunt with a ride back by horse and cart; a story-telling and ranger-led walk along the River Tyne; a historical walk through Pencaitland; and a 6.6 mile (10km) sponsored walk for more serious exercise (11am to 2pm). Each walk has intriguing points of interest along the way: a wood carved pirate ship, an ‘Ormiston Express’ train and a bike; five unusual ‘walkers’ roosts’ with space for up to four people to shelter; wire sculptures made by the Bridge Centre; African carvings from tree trunks; and carved ‘Pixie Perch’ toadstools.
Fantastic entertainment has been laid on for the day and will include: a delicious barbeque using locally-grown produce; bird boxes for families to build and paint using bird-friendly colours and identify as ‘their’ bird box; a miniature boat race down the River Tyne with two hundred little boats from Mercy Ships; a tremendous range of music including a drumming workshop; a tug of war; and, of course, an opportunity for exercise along the Winton Walks.
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Notes for editors:
Mercy Ships provides very practical health care and water supply improvement services to Africa where nearly 50% of the population have no access to a hospital or doctor, 1.2 billion people do not have safe drinking water and life expectancy is only 41 years.
Their Mercy Ship, Anastasis, recently arrived in Ghana with a crew of 400 for a project to provide free healthcare, training and community development. On board several hundred patients will receive surgical care for conditions that local hospitals may not be able to treat. Simultaneously, teams go out into the community to provide clean water to 23 villages which includes constructing 35 new wells and rehabilitating 20 existing wells, as well as installing sanitation. All of this is supported by training on well maintenance, latrine construction skills and hygiene promotion.
In the words of Nelson Mandela: I salute the vision and mission of Mercy Ships and ask that you join me in supporting their noble work and contribute to make this world a better place.”
The Bridge Centre Music Project, supported by East Lothian Council and other stakeholders, offers music-making opportunities to children and young people. This aim is achieved through instrumental tuition, access to rehearsal facilities, musical instruments and support from experienced tutors. These budding musicians are encouraged to compose their own music and lyrics and have access to the Bridge Centre recording studio. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate recently described the Music Project as ‘a model of good practice’.
To quote Pete Wishart of Runrig: The main success [of the Bridge Centre Music Project] is in the now considerable numbers of young people who crossed that door knowing little or nothing about the making or recording of music but who left with enhanced self confidence and self esteem because of that experience.”
For more information or an application form, please contact Morag Ramus at Winton House on 01875 340222 / mo***@wi*********.uk or Christopher Lamotte on 01620 824986 or 07957 870071.
For further information on Mercy Ships, please contact Lorna Inglis or Lois Boyle at Media House on 0141 220 6040.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.