Wigan teacher walks five miles every day to raise money in memory of her mother

Sue Pilkington has pledged to walk five miles every day in June to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.

She was inspired by her mother Marian Austin, who she cared for until her death in 2018, aged 83.

She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia 16 years earlier.

English teacher Mrs Pilkington, who has worked at St Peter’s Catholic High School in Orrell for 32 years, said: “During the time she was ill, I became very aware of how isolating a disease it is and how it feels as if you are on this journey where they are getting worse and not better.”

She previously raised thousands of pounds for the charity by cycling from Manchester to Blackpool and this year had hoped to take part in a memory walk, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Instead she set her own 30-day challenge to raise funds.

Mrs Pilkington said: “My idea was because my mum had to get up and face every day - it wasn’t just a one-off and it would get better, she just had to do it - I thought I would extend the walk. It’s relatively easy for me to walk five miles, but walking five miles every day for a month and fitting it in with work is relatively challenging.”

Most of the walks have started from her front door in Wigan, allowing her to explore areas she had not seen before.

Others have been in the Plantations at Haigh Hall and around Gidlow and Springfield, where she was brought up and where her mother would walk.

Some days she has walked more than five miles and she always finds something to photograph to keep her supporters updated.

Mrs Pilkington is aiming to raise £200 for Alzheimer’s Society, but also wants to raise awareness of the impact of the disease.

Her mother was diagnosed after forgetting she was married and had a daughter, and for the last eight years of her life, she could not speak or move independently.

Mrs Pilkington said: “She was like a young child who was regressing rather than developing. I think people think it’s just being a bit forgetful but it’s not.”

She praised the carers who looked after her mother and highlighted the kindness of strangers which helped when she was struggling.

To sponsor Mrs Pilkington, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/suepilkmemorymarch2020.

A message from the Editorial Director, Gillian Parkinson:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy when you pop out for your essential shop or subscribing for delivery.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: "Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role."

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:

You can subscribe for delivery by contacting us at [email protected] or calling us on 0330 4033004 for details of a participating newsagent near you.