Grandmother raises £1,000 for Cornwall Air Ambulance by completing 500-mile Camino de Santiago trek

A grandmother of eight from Mylor Bridge has raised vital funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance by completing a 500-mile adventure through Spain.

Alison York had always wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago trek, and finally made the solo trip in April 2022.

Setting off on her own, it took the 74-year-old 42 days to make her way along the Camino Frances route, from St Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. Alison experienced every kind of weather along the way, from fog to hail, to snow and 30-degree sunshine.

Alison says it was a ‘life-changing experience’, meeting people from Brazil, Canada, the USA, the Netherlands and Belgium during her adventure.

She said: “It was an amazing experience, even though you’ve done a lot of research, you don’t know how you’re going feel, if you are going to make it, I met some amazing people with interesting stories to tell. A lot of the time I walked on my own, I didn’t want to walk to someone else’s drum.

“One of the best bits was the Cruz de Ferro, I was walking very early in the morning and I walked up through the forest bit to the big cross, I walked around to the other side and saw the sun rising behind it, which I hadn’t factored in, but that was an amazing moment.”

Alison said the part she enjoyed the most was meeting so many different people along the way, hearing their stories and the feeling of living in the moment.

Not only did Alison complete the 500-mile trek, but she also decided to raise money for Cornwall Air Ambulance in the process. She raised an incredible £1,008 and attended a cheque presentation at the charity’s HQ in Newquay, where she met members of the crew.

She added: “I think living in Cornwall we’re very aware of the air ambulance, we see it all the time flying over where we live. When I thought I should use this opportunity to raise money I straight away thought Cornwall Air Ambulance, we’re so lucky to have it. You’re always there if we need you, and it could affect me or my family in some point in my life.”

Rob Foster, Fundraising Officer for Events and Challenges, said: “We love hearing about the different ways people raise money for your charity, and what an incredible journey Alison had along the way. Taking part in challenges like the Camino de Santiago trek are a great way that you can help Cornwall Air Ambulance. Not only do you get to take on the trip of a lifetime, but all the money you fundraise goes towards keeping your helicopter flying and making sure we can continue our lifesaving work.”

Want to take part in a challenge? You can find all the upcoming events and challenges for 2023 here: Events & Challenges – Cornwall Air Ambulance (cornwallairambulancetrust.org)