On 11th November 2021 Harry Lynch did something truly remarkable. He left the safety and comfort of his home in Scotland to take the first steps on his 1,000 mile walk across the UK. A gruelling journey that would take him two and half months to complete.
I have been lucky enough to travel around the world and see how others live, but with the good comes the bad and I started to really understand how lucky I was after meeting so many LGBTQ+ people.
Harry Lynch
After hearing countless stories of homophobia from families fuelled by culture and religion, I knew I had to try and do something about it.
Starting his adventure in John O Groats, Scotland, Harry faced facing blizzards, high winds, fallen trees, closed walkways and bubble baths in huge castles along the route. He battled through almost impossible weather conditions, determined to reach his goal.
The finishing line for the journey was in Lands End, the furthest South West tip of Britain. By the time he reached the finish line he’d walked over 1,000 miles and, the time of writing this post, Harry and his incredible family had raised £7,435 to support the vital work of Naz and Matt Foundation.
The fundraising page is still open if you’d like to donate
A few years ago I hiked from my home in Suffolk to family in Perth, Scotland. I loved it so much I knew I wanted to do it again, but this time bigger and better!
In June 2021 I decided to do it in winter but couldn’t find the right foundation, after a couple of months of planning and searching the Naz and Matt Foundation finally appeared! Bingo, here we go, and now you know!
Over to you Harry…
Asked why he decided to start this journey Harry responded –
So many people have asked if it was hard, how I found the strength to carry one, and what kept me going.
Harry Lynch
How could I possibly give up? There are other LGBTQ+ people out there, with lives much harder physically, mentally and emotionally than what was going on with me. There were a few times I was almost reduced to tears and wanted to quit, but how could I possibly knowing the great things the Foundation could do with the awareness and donations raised.
How will the money raised be used?
The money and donations raised from Harry’s adventure will be used to support the growth of Naz and Matt Foundation’s 1-2-1 support and mentoring services, which have received increased demand since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Thank you
On behalf of our Trustees, our community, and everyone Naz and Matt Foundation supports, I would like to thank Harry, his incredible family and his network of loyal friends who supported Harry every step of his 1,000 mile journey.
Your courage and generosity will allow us to continue providing vital services to the growing number of individuals who reach out to our charity for support.
We are truly thankful to the huge personal sacrifice Harry made to raise this money to support our work in the community.
We’re super proud to know you Harry. You are an amazing human being!
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