Coventry man raises £25,000 for Zambian orphans on coast-to-coast walk

A COVENTRY man has raised £25,000 in a coast-to-coast challenge to build new classrooms for orphans in Zambia.

In a remarkable feat of endurance and charity, Canon Gavin Kibble MBE raised money for Feed The Hungry by completing a grueling 200-mile coast-to-coast walk across England.

Celebrating his 60th birthday, Gavin embarked on a 13-day trek across three national parks from St Bees Head in Lancashire to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire.

Gavin said: “The Coast-to-Coast is the biggest challenge I have undertaken in my entire life. By any stretch of the imagination, this is a really tough ride.”

The trip was especially important for Gavin, who was on the road to getting back into fitness after suffering a heart attack two years ago.

“I had angina before the heart attack, so it was a challenge to walk even 200 feet without chest pain. Now I can walk 20 miles with no problem. It makes you celebrate and appreciate your good health in a way that I hadn’t before.”

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Despite dealing with injuries and rainstorms, Gavin found joy in the journey, recalling the stunning views over Ullswater from St Sunday’s Crag and the unique experience of meeting a bride in her wedding dress and boots hiking on their way to her ceremony on the Fells.

“It questions you as an individual throughout, but I’ve learned that I’m a lot more resilient than I thought I was.”

Funds raised will support the construction of the Lukkamano School extension in Mazabuka, Zambia, a project close to Gavin’s heart since his 2019 visit.

It comes less than two weeks after taking part in a 34km Foodbankathon walk between all 15 foodbank centers in Coventry.

Feed The Hungry provides regular meals to children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic, and the new classrooms will further support their education.

Gavin and his wife Viv are planning a return trip to Zambia in March to witness the progress of the school, which will bear Gavin’s name in recognition of his fundraising efforts.

Gavin added: “We are very grateful for the donations we have had so far which will enable us to build the school, but we would like more funds so we can also equip it with desks, chairs and IT equipment .

“It helps orphaned children and will give them a better chance to flourish in their own country by being properly educated. By donating, you help improve the life chances of hundreds of children.”

Visit: feedthehungry.org.uk/coast-to-coast/ to donate.