Kim’s 100 Miles in April for Children on the Edge

Local resident, Kim Lambert, is raising funds for a charity close to her heart and she’s gaining confidence along the way while adapted to life with a disability.

Kim told us about her fundraising efforts and how her powered wheelchair is helping her reach 100 miles in April for Children on the Edge, a charity set up by Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.

Kim said: “Since becoming disabled last year, it has often felt like I’ve been living in a world of things I can no longer do, but then I saw a post on my region’s Body Shop at Home group about walking 100 miles in April for Children on the Edge. This is something that, pre-accident, I would have signed up for in a heartbeat, as it’s a charity I feel very strongly about.

“It was set up by Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, back in 1990 after she visited orphanages in Romania that she had seen were in dire conditions when she saw them on TV. Anita and the team were not prepared for how bad the conditions were and Anita knew she needed to do more to help than she would ever be able to achieve during her visit. So, when she returned to the UK, she met with professionals who knew about setting up charities, and Children on the Edge (COTE) was born, initially to provide more support to the orphanages her and the team had visited. 

“The Body Shop at Home branch of the business was asked for a five-year commitment to help raise funds for this project (that was over 30 years ago) and Body Shop at Home Consultants are still raising funds, either individually or in organised events, like this year’s 100 Miles in April challenge!

“I contacted the organiser and asked if I would be able to take part in my powered wheelchair, something I had been really struggling to feel comfortable using. I was told I could, but I still had to overcome my anxieties about being out in public in my wheelchair. But when the Easter holidays started, I was boosted by the nicer weather and lots of encouragement from my two youngest kids, so we hit the prom in Felixstowe. Initially I felt so self-conscious, but my kids were so supportive and very quickly it was clear just how much they were loving the fact I was back out with them, and they simply didn’t care about me being in my chair – in fact they loved having a ride with me. As a result, we have been having a lovely time, enjoying the sunshine and time together, and it’s giving me more confidence as a disabled person to get back out into my local community, meeting some lovely people along the way. Due to the fact the chair isn’t overly fast, I’m getting the chance to have a lovely look around this beautiful town, all whilst raising money for such a worthwhile cause that is very close to my heart.

“At the time of writing this, I have raised £203 and have completed 65.76 miles in 14 days. This money will be invaluable to the charity, but also, the opportunity of doing this challenge has been invaluable to myself and my family!”

If you’d like to support Kim as she completes her challenge and help raise funds for Children on the Edge, head on over to her Facebook fundraising page: https://tinyurl.com/4vt7ejpf

To find out more about Children on the Edge, visit: https://www.childrenontheedge.org