Monday 3 November 2014

New Targets, New Blog







In 2010 I walked 2,000 kms, from my then home in the French Pyrenees to the house in Blackpool where I was born. I did this in a symbolic 70 days, to arrive at the house on my 70th birthday. In fact, for the whole project, with training, I walked 14,500 kms. I did all this to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK. I set a target of £7,000 but raised over £10,000.

This YouTube link shows the BBC NorthWest coverage of the finish to the walk:


After the walk, I wrote a book - "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England", about my experiences. This is available in paperback and in virtually every e-version known to man - Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and many more. All proceeds of all versions go direct to Pancreatic Cancer UK. As do the proceeds of my second book "Living in the Real Cyprus". And more books to come. 

The talks I give are generally about the walk, with readings from that book. I have done several talks in France (where I lived until a few weeks ago) to groups of English residents. They have gone down very well. I have also made available individually autographed copies of my books. There is no obligation to buy these, but they have gone down very well also. 

Pancreatic cancer remains an appalling serial killer, with, unlike many cancers, no progress made in the past 40 years in diagnosis and treatment

Now I am again resident in UK I have set up a whole new phase of my fundraising for pancreatic cancer research, called "Vic Talks The Walk", complete with a new fundraising page:

https://www.justgiving.com/Vic-Heaney2/

Donations can be made directly by clicking on the "Donate" button to the right of this page.

There is a new target to raise another £8,000 by my 80th birthday, through talks, donations and book sales, with at least one new book forthcoming in the next year.

I am now ready to talk to interested organisations about "talking the walk". I also intend to have available another talk about my experiences living in Cyprus and how so many things are different from what the tourist sees.

I would be pleased to come to your organisation to give one of these talks. Please email me on


victalksthewalk@gmail.com

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