Theatre Director, Maureen McAllister, is inviting you to walk another mile in her shoes as she takes to the road heading for Rome next month. She raised over £2,500 last year for the theatre’s community activities and for children caught up in humanitarian crises on a similar walk on Spain’s Camino trail.

Maureen started walking in lock-down and most of her miles are on her walks to and from work or the many miles she runs around the theatre.  Since March 2021 she has clocked-up over five thousand miles and worn out seven pairs of walking shoes!

Always ready for a challenge Maureen says: ‘Although I’ve damaged my knee and broken my toe recently, which is slowing me down a bit, I try to walk at least 7 miles a day, and on a busy day at the theatre, I can walk over 6 miles just rushing around the building.’

Now she is heading off again on another ‘real walk’ with fund raising in mind: ‘I’m doing the Via Francigena from Montefiascone to Rome over 6 days. It’s the last stage, similar to the Camino but a bit further. I’m paying for the trip myself, as I love these pilgrimages, but wanted to use the challenge as an opportunity to raise money for the two causes which are so very close to my heart.’

The funds raised with be split between the Palace Theatre, supporting non-profit community activities and ESSW Charitable Trust, which has already raised thousands for humanitarian charities at events hosted at the Palace including pig, racing, charity auctions and this year’s big events, include a fabulous Charity Auction on 23 September and Doctor and the Medics on Friday 3 November.

You can donate to support these causes by ‘walking another mile’ with Maureen, via the GoFundMe page.

Next year Maureen will, for once, be allowed to take to the stage at the Palace to tell her amazing walking story are part of our ‘Audience At’ Thursday morning Talks. You can book your ticket for her talk ‘From Couch Potato to Pilgrim’ here.