Former Pukekohe Golf Club manager taking on 770km for the Mental Health Foundation
Kia ora neighbours,
Pukekohe local, Ian Litchfield, is planning on the walk of his life across the famous Camino de Santiago in May.
Litchfield, a former general manager of the Pukekohe Golf Club, is planning to walk 770km, from the Pyrenees Mountains to Spain in just 77 days.
In doing so, he wants to raise $50,000 for the Mental Health Foundation, saying its work is close to his heart, having experienced Post Traumatic Stress and watching his friends and family go through various struggles too, he said.
“You’ve got to clear past issues from your mind, achieve the balance one seeks for the present and then plan for the future,” he said.
“That’s what I’ll be doing on the walk: week by week, reviewing what I’ve done and preparing for the next part as well as for my future when I get home.”
Litchfield, 71, will do his walk with just 10kg on his back, plus two pairs of hiking shoes to support him on his journey.
He’ll start in Gallipoli at the end of April, where his grandfather fought during WWI, then travel to France to begin Camino de Santiago pilgrimage from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountain range through to Spain.
The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, is among the most important Christian pilgrimage paths and was first walked in the ninth century. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hundreds of walkers visit it annually, and villages along the route host pilgrims and hikers alike in accommodation on their way.
To support Litchfield and contribute to the Mental Health Foundation, visit his fundraiser online.
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️