Houghton Regis priest tackles pilgrim route to walk against hunger

Peter Stannard hopes to raise £10,000
Peter StannardPeter Stannard
Peter Stannard

A retired priest and Houghton Regis local is taking part in CAFOD’s Walk against Hunger challenge, which raises money to tackle global food poverty.

Instead of doing the suggested 5km per day over 40 days of Lent, Peter Stannard will be walking 200km in 13 days. The 62-year-old will be walking the length of the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela in Spain – an ancient pilgrim route at least 1,000 years old. Peter has an impressive fundraising goal of £10,000.

He is currently training for his walk in the Bedfordshire area, particularly the public footpaths between Houghton Regis to Luton. Peter’s challenge starts on Saturday (April 2), and he plans to reach Santiago de Compostela in 13 days. He has been on various pilgrimages and has visited many shrines all over the world, but never the Santiago de Compostela.

Peter says: “I will be walking the Portuguese Camino which is less popular than the French Camino but promises much beauty. I will start in Porto and head north along the Atlantic coastline before turning inland for Compostela. I look forward to being in Compostela to join in the Holy Week and Easter services.”

Peter is fundraising for aid charity CAFOD, and adds: “I believe that people often overlook the suffering which goes on in other countries, it just doesn’t receive enough attention. CAFOD brings about real change for people who sorely need it, for people whose daily needs and trials are beyond our imagining.”

CAFOD supports communities in the long-term through training people in farming methods, and savings and loans schemes which can help people to start small businesses.

Deborah Purfield, who is CAFOD’s Community Participation Coordinator for Bedfordshire, said: “So many of our wonderful CAFOD volunteers and supporters are rising to the challenge and Walking against Hunger this Lent. They want to support communities to tackle global hunger and malnutrition. I’d like to say thank you to our supporters, particularly Peter Stannard who is planning such an arduous walk in solidarity with our brother and sisters who are in great need. What an inspiration he is!”