Indomitable volunteer and fundraiser Bob Ward braved wind and rain to pound the streets of Torbay at weekend walking 70 km to mark his 70th birthday.
Bob was joined at various times by four generations of his family, including a one-year-old great-granddaughter, Phoebe, as he raised nearly £5,000, to give 70 families in the Bay food and clothing vouchers, each valued at £70.
His marathon started at 12.01 from Torwood Gardens in Torquay on Saturday, April 1st and his route will took him on four circuits of the Bay out as far as Fairy Cove in Paignton before finishing 16 hours later at 4pm.
Bob fought through heavy rain and high winds and suffered from severe swelling of his hands as he fought against the elements to complete his task, exhausted but still smiling.
The one time Torquay butcher first stepped up at the beginning of lockdown in 2020 when he acted as a rapid responder for the Torbay Community Helpline and delivered and prepared food for Eat that Frog. He also bought a commercial potato peeler when he discovered how much he hated peeling potatoes.
In addition, he walked dogs, helped someone living nearby with their shopping and maintaining their garden and went on trips to Bristol to pick up tons of food for the food banks supplied by the Torbay Food Alliance.
Even when he returned to work after furlough, he missed volunteering so much that he undertook a non-stop 12-hour coastal walk to raise money for Christmas food hampers distributed by his old colleagues at Eat that Frog.
When he saw what was happening in Ukraine, he knew he had to do something and got on the phone with his 43-year-old daughter, Emily Douglas, a mother of one from Bournemouth and organised a 2,500-mile round trip carrying urgently needed supplies to neighbouring Poland on the borders of the war-torn country.
“So many families in the Torbay area are facing hard times and struggling with day-to-day life in difficult times,” said Bob, “That is why I decided to try and help and as it’s my 70th birthday coming up I decided to forgo the party and gifts and give back to our lovely Bay by walking 70km for my birthday.”
If you can help Bob achieve his goal and help families across the Bay: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bobbys-70km-for-70years
