Lancs residents back park pair’s charity challenge

We walked it! Paul and Ruth reach the end of their marathon trek having scooped an £800 charity windfall
We walked it! Paul and Ruth reach the end of their marathon trek having scooped an £800 charity windfall

When the brother-and-sister owners of a Lancashire residential park recently decided to raise a few pounds for a good cause.

But when residents at Lamaleach Park Estates near Lytham St Annes got to hear of the bid by Ruth Ross and Paul Lancaster, they gave more than just words of encouragement.

The homeowners also dug into Macmillan Cancer Support.

Their challenge was to tackle a 26-mile route through the Lake District from Keswick, all of it off-road, and including many steep climbs on rocky upland paths.

It total – but on reaching their destination in Ambleside, they knew they had achieved their fundraising goal.

“It was one of the hottest days this summer, and I think that on a few occasions we both started to wonder what we had taken on!” said Ruth.

“But having received such amazing support from so many kind-hearted people, we knew there was no way we could go back having thrown in the towel,” she added.

Park homes at award-winning Lamaleach are ideal for people in or near retirement
Park homes at award-winning Lamaleach are ideal for people in retirement

The donations came from both the residents’ social club at Lamaleach Park, and from individual owners of the 120 park homes on the estate.

Last year, the park celebrated its 50th anniversary under the same family’s ownership, having been started in 1966 by Paul and Ruth’s grandfather Jack on part of his dairy farm.

The park’s tranquil rural setting just outside the stylish coastal resort of Lytham soon began attracting buyers in search of an idyllic and practical retirement location.q

Covering 30 acres of peaceful Lancashire countryside, Lamaleach has previously been praised by TV botanist David Bellamy for its many initiatives to protect the natural world.

It has also won a Gold Award from North West in Bloom, and Ruth says that residents play a big part in helping to create a real community atmosphere on the park.

Fundraising activities for good causes are an important part of social life at Lamaleach added Ruth who often plays the piano in performances by local choral societies.

Her and Paul’s Lake District trek was organised by Macmillan Cancer Support, one of Britain’s largest charities which is dedicated to assisting people affected by the disease.

There is more information about Lamaleach at www.lamaleachparkestates.co.uk