Some of our Walk the Walkers attend the King’s Garden Party at Holyrood!

L-R: Margaret, Cathie, Gaynor, Sandra

Walk the Walk was delighted to receive four very special invitations to the King’s Garden Party at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh earlier this week. We would have loved to invite all our wonderful supporters to this fabulous event, but sadly that wasn’t possible!

So - the amazing Cathie, Sandra, Gaynor and Margaret travelled to Edinburgh to represent you all. And what a day they had – despite the rather wet weather.

Cathie is one of our incredible volunteers. Having taken part in the first ever MoonWalk Scotland as a walker in 2006, Cathie has volunteered every single year since and in London since 2012 too. Cathie has also walked The MoonWalk London, the Glasgow Half Marathon and the Great North Run for Walk the Walk.  

 “It rained and rained and rained, but it did not take away the fantastic day we had at the King’s Garden Party. The atmosphere and the welcome from the regimental Royal Archers was lovely and other people attending the event were very interested about why we were there. The food was dainty, but delicious! We’d taken along a gift for King Charles, a Walk the Walk tartan bra pin and a MoonWalk medal. I’d phoned Buckingham Palace beforehand and my instructions were to hand it to a particular member of the King’s staff, which I did! I absolutely loved attending the Garden Party and meeting the other ladies who were also representing Walk the Walk. It was such a huge honour to represent all the charity’s volunteers and I’m very thankful to Nina at Walk the Walk for asking me”.

When Sandra first started taking part in The MoonWalk Scotland, Walk the Walk was funding the Scalp Coolers in the Haematology and Chemotherapy Day Bed Unit, at the Lorn and Islands Hospital where she works. Sandra enters the Moonwalks in London and Scotland with her “Oban Care Bears” team every year and The MoonWalk Scotland 2023 will be her 13^th MoonWalk in total!

“I hope to complete many more MoonWalks in the years to come. A number of younger patients with breast cancer have been coming through our chemo unit, which spurs me on to do more. I was absolutely humbled and honoured to be invited to represent Walk the Walk at the King’s Garden Party. Walk the Walk is like an extended family and to meet our fellow walker Margaret and volunteer Cathie was fab - there was no awkwardness and it was just like meeting old friends. The weather was poor but it didn’t cloud the day, so the fight against breast cancer continues”.

Gaynor is a regular member of the Oban Care Bears team and has walked in Scotland and London for many years. The MoonWalk Scotland 2023 will be her 11^th MoonWalk overall.  

“Being invited to attend the Royal Garden Party on behalf of Walk the Walk was such an honour and privilege. It was a fantastic day, the rain did not dampen the spirits, after all we’ve walked in this kind of weather many times and we don't give up. It was fun meeting others, who all had their own amazing story as to why they had been invited. We had a great laugh with the security team and Royal Archers. It was so lovely to meet up with Cathie and Margaret, who are both amazing people. 

I joined Walk the Walk purely for selfish reasons and that was to get fitter. However, after attending my first MoonWalk, I was totally taken aback by the atmosphere, the inspiration and dedication of all those walkers and volunteers, that I was hooked. I'm a District Nurse with a passion for palliative care. I have nursed friends as well as patients with breast cancer and I remember them when I am doing my walks. We all want a better future for our families and friends, so we strive to fundraise to make a difference to those who may face this diagnosis now and, in the future”.

The final words about the Garden Party come (in verse!) from Margaret, who is walking her 17^th MoonWalk Scotland this year. She’s also walked The MoonWalk London five times, the 3 Land Challenge, the New York Marathon and the Dublin Marathon.

Walk the Walk is the charity I favour, it’s trueThey help so many people in all that they doAnd care so personally for their volunteers and walkers tooThe staff are fantastic, and there’s only a fewI’ve raised many thousand pounds in the pastAnd made wonderful friendships I know will lastBut for me, the icing on the cakeCame with an invite, make no mistakeTo the Royal Garden Party I was invitedAnd with 3 other supporters, all unitedTo be a guest was an honour indeedThe afternoon tea itself was such a good feedAnd despite the rain, seeing the King and QueenIs something you can only dreamSo I’d like to thank you, and also say howWalk the Walk, for me, is a huge part of my life now

Thank you Cathie, Gaynor, Margaret and Sandra for sharing your memories from such a wonderful day! We look forward to seeing all of you again at The MoonWalk Scotland 2023. It’s not too late to join us – sign up now!