Rochdale men raise over £1,000 with coast to coast trek

David Chambers and David Patterson have raised more than £1,000 for Mesothelioma UK with their coast-to-coast trek

Two Rochdale men have raised over £1,000 for the Mesothelioma UK Charitable Trust after trekking across the country.

Queensway resident David Chambers, 78, and his fellow rambler David Patterson, 77, from Norden, completed the 192-mile walk from coast to coast over 13 days in May with an aim of raising £1,000 for the charity.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/138/community-news/118063/rochdale-residents-to-walk-coasttocoast-for-charity

Mr Chambers decided to take up the challenge as his close friend of 45 years, Tony Kennedy, 78, who lives in Moston, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, last year. They became increasingly close in recent years as both are widowers.

The cause is also close to Mr Chambers’ heart as his older brother, Ron, died from the disease in 2014.

Mr Chambers’ stepson, Andrew Ross, said: “As David has raised a total of £1,016.84, he is over the moon.”

The two Davids set off on 8 May, walking the popular Wainwright path for 13 days. Wainwright's route begins at St Bees in Cumbria, on the Irish Sea. It crosses the West Cumbrian coastal plain and the Lake District, and enters North Yorkshire as it crosses the Pennines. It then crosses the Yorkshire Dales, the Vale of York and the North York Moors to reach the North Sea coast at Robin Hood's Bay.