The “Just Walk and Talk” initiative, led by Wayne King, Service Manager at Chepstow Construction Equipment, recently reached an extraordinary milestone, raising £20,000 for charities including the Lighthouse Charity.
Far surpassing its original goal of £3,000, the effort highlighted the power of determination and teamwork, with every mile walked making a meaningful impact. The 47-year-old father of two from Tiverton, embarked on an 80-mile journey from Tiverton to Chepstow over eight days, towing an 80kg weight on a trolley to symbolise the memory of a friend he lost to suicide.
Wayne reflected on the journey with both pride and gratitude. “The walk was tough, but I had great people around me and incredible support,” he shared. While the idea for the walk was his, Wayne was quick to credit the success to the contributions of others. “I couldn’t have achieved what I did without the relentless hard work of Ian Whiting, Managing Director of Chepstow Construction Equipment, and Dom Vitzum from Create Agency. They went above and beyond to ensure this campaign’s success.”
Ian Whiting made a significant donation on behalf of Chepstow Construction Equipment and reached out daily to customers to encourage their support. Ian also joined Wayne for a full day of walking, covering 10 miles and helping to pull the trolley. “Having Ian take time out of his schedule to walk and share the burden with me was one of the highlights,” Wayne said. “It meant so much that he gave up his time when he could have been focusing on running the business.”
Family support also played a major role in the fundraising and awareness campaign’s success. Wayne’s father-in-law, ‘Big Dave’ took an unpaid week off work to drive the support vehicle, providing encouragement and logistical assistance every step of the way.
The funds raised were split between Lighthouse Charity, Andy’s Man Club and the family of a friend Wayne lost in the summer, each receiving £6,861. “This cause is close to my heart, especially knowing the impact poor mental health struggles can have,” Wayne explained. “I can’t help but think if we’d done this sooner, maybe we could have helped my friend Stuart, who also worked in construction.”
Lighthouse Charity CEO applauded Wayne’s efforts, “Wayne’s symbolic walk is a huge achievement, not only in terms of fundraising, but also raising awareness of the support we can offer our construction community. A huge thank you goes out to Wayne and his team of supporters who made this achievement possible”.
Wayne is already looking ahead to 2025 with fresh ideas for further fundraising efforts. “I’ve got some radical plans in mind,” he said, “but I’ll need to get Ian and Dom back on board first!”
