Day 4 of 10. Apologies for the lack of updates. It’s been a rough 48hrs. I woke up yesterday morning feeling horribly sick, headache, nausea etc. Eventually made myself throw up, felt slightly better but couldn’t eat anything. The ensuing 8 miles should have been a breeze but... pic.twitter.com/2zxd7qxFQS
— Jassa Ahluwalia (@OfficialJassa) August 31, 2018
Jassa completed his solo trek of the West Highland Way yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 5th September. His 96 mile adventure raised over £2000 for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), a charity for whom Jassa is a proud ambassador.
“My fundraising target was 2022, the year the Institute for Fiscal Studies projects that over five million children will live in relative income poverty. By the end of my final day we had smashed that target. I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity. I can’t thank everyone who supported me enough.” - Jassa
Despite becoming ill on Day 3 of his planned 10 day expedition, Jassa was determined to cross the finish line. He abandoned his plans to scale Ben Nevis, reducing his schedule to 9 days, and focused on conquering the 150km trail.
“Each day felt like it was going to be the day I gave up. My cramps were awful and I had zero appetite. I was hiking on an almost empty stomach. Anything I did manage to eat played hell with my digestion. It was grim. But some part of me embraced the challenge. I knew it wouldn’t be fun but I was determined to finish. It became a psychological battle. And it seemed to encourage people to donate!” - Jassa
Famed for both its natural beauty and arduous terrain, the West Highland Way is Scotland's original Great Trail; a 96 mile long-distance walking route connecting Milngavie (north of Glasgow) to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
Jassa posted regular updates about his progress on social media and arrived in Fort William on Wednesday 5th September at 4.30pm.
Jassa’s challenge is over but the struggle for families living in poverty is ongoing. You can continue to donate to CPAG via Jassa’s JustGiving page. Alternatively, please consider a regular contribution.
CPAG works to eliminate poverty by developing and campaigning for policy solutions. Their work is not obviously visible. But their impact is profound.
Recently, CPAG successfully led lobbying by a coalition of charities to secure £850m for childcare help in Universal Credit for low income families. They have successfully challenged the Government’s plans to scrap funding for local welfare assistance schemes. They also won a legal challenge to the impact of the Bedroom Tax on families with severely disabled children.
Your donation will not only support CPAG to help those enduring hardship, it will fund lasting change. Fuelled by their vision of a poverty free society, they work towards ensuring every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
“No matter how tough it got on the trail, no matter how isolated I felt, I was in the very fortunate position of being able to seek help. Sadly there are many people in our country who don’t have that basic safety net. That’s where CPAG comes in. It’s why their work is so crucial.”
Child Poverty Action Group: www.cpag.org.uk
Jassa’s JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/officialjassa