Disabled Shoreham covid survivor raises £3k for church

George’s achievement was even more remarkable, as he was previously told he would struggle to walk again after suffering severe complications following a routine hip replacement some years ago.

The money was raised to fund vital repairs at the Church of the Good Shepherd Hall on Shoreham Beach. The Church’s Associate Vicar, the The Rev Jane Bartlett, accompanied George during the two-mile walk from Shoreham Fort.

George, 66, is still recovering from the lasting effects of Covid-19, several months after being placed in Worthing Hospital’s Intensive Therapy Unit in the summer.

He said: “I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the donations. Amazingly, some ran into the hundreds of pounds.

“People are now suggesting I’m someone special, I assure you I’m not! The challenge presented itself and so I took it up. There was a multitude of people in the background who did as much, if not more, helping the challenge to succeed.

“How do you say thank you to so many wonderful people? I suppose I just did.”

Rev’d Jane added, “George’s sponsored walk was a fantastic success and raised more money than we hoped. The church currently faces about £10,000 of building repair work, so this will help us greatly at a time when church income is reduced. The walk also raised everyone’s spirits at a time of lockdown.

It showed us all what is possible despite the difficulties, and the importance of the church hall for hosting children’s groups, social groups, committee meetings, exercise classes, art classes and more. It’s vital we maintain it in good order, but the church’s finances have been hit badly by the pandemic, so we need some help from the community.

“Thank you to everyone who contributed, and most of all, thank you to George for his huge effort.”