A determined Southport businesswoman and her husband have raised £20,000 for two local charities by completing nearly a quarter of a million steps during a 125 km trek in Spain.
Moira and Mark O’Shaughnessy walked 231,741 steps across the Camino Way in Northern Spain.
The couple set out to raise £6,000 to be split between Alfie’s Squad, which supports children bereaved by suicide, and Sean’s Place in Bootle, which supports men’s mental health, but overwhelming support has seen her smash that target and thanks to a bit of help from the FPC Foundation, each group has now received £10,000.
Moira O’Shaughnessy is the Managing Partner at FPC, an independent financial planning and wealth management firm based in Ainsdale Village in Southport.
She was inspired to walk the 125km first stage of the Camino de Santiago, trekking from San Sebastian to Bilbao, to mark her 60th birthday in memory of her brother, Kevin, whom she sadly lost to suicide in 2002.
Moira said: “Sixty is a significant birthday for me as my Dad only made 59 and my brother Kevin just 40.
“I completed this journey in his memory to raise money for two very special groups; Sean’s Place in Bootle, where I was born and bred, which supports men at risk of taking their own life, and Alfie’s Squad which supports children who have lost a parent to suicide.
“If these two groups were around in 2002 when we lost Kevin, I’m sure they would have been a great support and I’m proud to have done my bit to help them continue to support others.
“The hike took us across coastal paths and lush countryside and gave me time to reflect on the beautiful scenery surrounding us and how much my brother, Kevin, would have loved it.
“I went from an average of 2,500 steps a day at home to nearly 40,000 and despite the aches and pains, it was most definitely worth it.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone – family, friends, colleagues and FPC’s wonderful clients for supporting our challenge.”
Alfie’s Squad
Alfie’s Squad was founded in 2019 by a then 9-year-old Alfie Fitzsimmons following the devastating loss of his father to suicide in 2017. He discovered, along with his mum Allison Furlong, that there was a lack of support available across the country for children bereaved by suicide.
The core mission of Alfie’s Squad is establishing a much-needed support group to provide young individuals affected by suicide with a safe space to heal, connect and find solace in the company of peers who share similar experiences.
Approximately 9,000 children are bereaved by parental suicide every year in the UK and if you add to the equation children who lose a different family member, or even a friend, that number can easily be trebled.
Sean’s Place
Sean’s Place, founded by Debbie Rogers (third left), won the Community Impact Award sponsored by Forth Homes. Photo by Kevin Brown Photography
Sean’s Place was established by Debbie Roger’s after she sadly lost her brother Sean in July 2019 following a long battle with his mental health – he was just 34 years old. The aim of Sean’s Place is to improve the mental health and well-being of men from across Sefton and Liverpool City Region through support specifically identified to improve confidence and self-esteem whilst reducing symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
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