Celebrity canine companions set off on 16-mile Remembrance walk in the Lakes to help raise money for bereaved Forces children
“I’m giving one working day of my life when some mothers and fathers serving in our military gave up everything, the ultimate sacrifice.”
Famous Lake District Springer Spaniels, Paddy and Harry, and their owner Kerry Irving, will be setting out on a 16-mile Remembrance walk today (12th) to mark Harry’s 3rd birthday but also to raise much needed funds for a military charity very close to Kerry’s heart.
Paddy, Harry and their older brother Max
Kerry, who lives in Keswick, has set up the fundraiser to help raise money for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity that offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces. This time last year, Kerry organised a similar fundraiser to mark Harry’s second birthday and raised over £17,000 for the charity.
This year Kerry is hoping to go one step further and has ambitions to raise over £20,000 for Scotty’s. He has already raised over £16,000 and is hoping his loyal social media and animal loving community will get behind them as they did last year.
Kerry said: “Basically I’m giving one working day of my life when some mothers and fathers serving in our military gave up everything, the ultimate sacrifice. They will never walk these lands again. They will never see their children grow, hear them say their first words, watch them ride a bike, learn to swim, play football, go to university fall in love or ever hold a grandchild. They will never hear them cry.
“I’m walking in aid of Scotty’s Little Soldiers because they do an absolutely fantastic job in supporting these children. At such a young age they have been through so much, and I know what a difficult time of the year Remembrance can be. It’s important we remember, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice but also the children our heroes left behind.”
Paddy
Kerry, Paddy and Harry will set off on their walk this morning and will be taking in some of the most scenic routes in the Lake District. In total the walk should take them around seven hours to complete.
As someone who came close to losing everything, Kerry knows only too well what it takes to overcome challenges in life. In 2006, Kerry was involved in a horrific car accident, which left him injured, in chronic pain and close to severe depression.
It was when Springer Spaniel, Max, who is now too old to complete the full walk, came into his life that he started to heal. Since then, Kerry has added to his pack with Paddy and most recently young Harry.
Max, Paddy and Harry out in the Lakes
Over the last five years, Kerry’s story has become well-known across the world. Since setting up the Facebook page Max Out in the Lake District, his follower numbers and social influence has increased dramatically, with now over 200,000 people following him on Facebook and Instagram combined, and a global reach of 3.1 million.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers was set up in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott. The charity offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces.
Nikki saw the devastating impact the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, in 2009 had on their two young children and wanted to help others in the same situation.
The charity is currently providing assistance to hundreds of bereaved Forces children and young people around the UK and services offered include guidance to parents and carers, access to professional child bereavement support, personal education and learning assistance (including grants) and fun activities such as holiday respite breaks and group events. These are all designed to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.
Nikki said: “I can’t thank Kerry, Paddy and Harry enough for helping raise money for Scotty’s once again. The amount they raised last year was incredible and went a long way in helping us continue delivering vital support to bereaved Forces children and young people across the country when they need it the most. He’s already raised so much already again this year and I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has already donated. November is such a poignant month for our members but knowing that they are not going through it alone is so important.”
