Lisburn man Stewart Barbour once again goes the extra mile for charity
Lisburn man Stewart Barbour is taking to the roads of Northern Ireland once again as he aims to walk 560 miles to raise vital funds for Cancer Focus NI.
Stewart, 72, who was awarded the BEM in the New Year’s Honours for his dedicated fundraising efforts for the charity, set off on his four-week long trek, leaving Wallace Park in Lisburn on July 26.
Stewart is planning to walk around the 50 largest settlements in Northern Ireland, walking though towns from Bangor to Newcastle, and Enniskillen to Londonderry.
Stewart, the charity’s proud ambassador, reflected on his latest challenge, saying: “Having already walked 135 miles from Belfast to Donegal, 400 miles from Mizen Head to Malin Head, and last year the 520 mile perimeter of Northern Ireland I thought, what next? It has to be a greater distance to be a challenge and that’s when I thought of walking through the 50 largest towns in Northern Ireland.”
Going above and beyond in everything he does, Stewart’s challenge will also include climbing Slieve Donard and a few extra hills that will equate to a combined elevation gain of more than 29,035 feet, the equivalent of climbing to the summit of Everest from sea level.
"That normally takes at least six weeks, I hope to do it in four,” he said.
His catchphrase is 'The walking is just an excuse for the talking' so he can continue to spread the word about the great work of Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and the vital services they provide for local people in Northern Ireland on their cancer journey, including counselling, family support, support groups, specialist bra fitting and patient driving service.
Every penny raised stays in Northern Ireland to support local people on their cancer journey.
You can find out more about Stewart’s fundraising effort and make a donation to this worthy cause by visiting justgiving.com/stewart-barbour-cfni
Stewart’s walking itinerary will be weather dependent and for the most up-to-date information on where he is in Northern Ireland, people are encouraged to follow his daily updates on social media – Facebook: Stewart Barbour and Instagram: stewbar25.
Stewart has been raising vital funds for Cancer Focus NI for the last eight years and has raised over £53,000 for the charity.