Pat Barnes, a retired police officer and current minibus driver at Bryanston School in Blandford, met with the team at Mosaic in January 2023 to share his plans of undertaking a remarkable challenge for the charity. Pat aims to walk all the way from his front door in Wool, Dorset to Santiago de Campostela in Spain.
He learned about Mosaic, a Dorset-based charity that provides bereavement support to children and young people, through his work at Bryanston School where Mosaic provide a bereavement service.
Pat set himself a fundraising target of £1,000. At time of writing, just a few days into his journey, he’s already broken through that target!
Calais to Camino
Pat set off from his own front door in Wool on Monday 3rd April, heading first to Salisbury, then on to Winchester where he will join the Pilgrim’s Trail to Canterbury before crossing from Dover to Calais on foot.
He’ll walk through France, over the Pyrenees and across the North of Spain to the famous Santiago de Compostela on the Camino trail. The walk will be unsupported, meaning he has to carry everything he needs with him; Pat estimates that it will take him around four months to complete the journey.
He says, ‘I have previously walked the Camino Frances, around 940km, and Camino del Norte, around 1,150km. I enjoy the adventure of a long-distance walk, seeing the changes in the countryside, the culture … but most of all it’s the people you meet along the way.’
Sarah Hannibal-White, Mosaic’s Fundraising and Events assistant says, ‘We are delighted that Pat has chosen to support Mosaic whilst undertaking this amazing challenge. We look forward to hearing all about his adventures and the people he meets and sharing his stories with the community. We wish Pat every success!’
If you would like to find out more about Pat’s adventure or make a donation, you can visit his JustGiving page here
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