Callum and Jamie will not let the block touch the ground for the entire journey
Concrete Block Foundation Are Walking Hull To Skegness
It is not unusual for people to undertake fundraising walks or runs, but two men from northern Lincolnshire are adopting a more challenging approach to a journey they are embarking on today (Friday, January 23). Pals Callum Simons and Jamie Wright planned to set out from Hull this morning carrying a concrete block, their aim to reach Skegness without having let it touch the ground once on the way.
It is all about raising money and awareness for the “vulnerable and struggling”, says the pair’s crowdfunding appeal, set up under the title of the Concrete Block Foundation. The block, weighing 13.5kg, is a symbol of the emotional burden people collectively carry around with them.
The Concrete Block Foundation challenge is expected to take Callum and Jamie between three to four days to complete, depending on what the mid-January weather might throw at them. Sharing the carrying of the block, the men will have rest stops along the way – cuddling the block to stick to their self-imposed rule – and will have the block strapped to them or resting on them while they sleep in their tent at night.
Their fundraising page said: “Callum wants to provide support to the homeless and that is for Harbour Place, in Grimsby, a brilliant charitable cause that has helped Callum and countless others get off the street, regardless of their history. Jamie wants to give back to the Lighthouse Construction Charity, who helped him battle some dark times living a long way from home.”
It said: “We must highlight we are camping this whole project, so we will be bl***y cold and wet. Collectively we are doing this completely ridiculous mission to raise support and funds to services that have helped us in our lives.”
The journey’s start point was The Deep in Hull. The men will be walking a route that will take in Barnetby, Grimsby and Louth before finishing in Skegness at the clock tower.
Callum said: “This is a big deal for us, we grew up together; we’ve been through certain things together. We’ve both had struggles at work and with our mental health.
“The concrete block is a visual reminder of the weight anyone struggling in life carries; it’s a lot of weight on their shoulders. This is about awareness, which can be just as powerful as fundraising, if not more so.”
At one point, Callum and Jamie were going to stay in a hotel overnight but decided against that and to “rough it” instead, knowing one of their causes was in support of homelessness. The men consider themselves “quite fit”, with Callum saying “I can run ten miles no problem”, but shouldering a concrete block 60 miles to Skegness, via Lincolnshire Wolds terrain, was a different prospect.
“If it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be such a good fundraiser,” said Callum. “A few people in recovery are going to be setting off the first mile with us; it will be great to see anyone on our route who wants to give us a wave or some words of encouragement.”
Jamie admitted it was “such a random idea” but one he hoped would raise the profile of both the charities they are doing it for. He said he had mixed feelings about it, being nervous about undertaking the challenge, but was “absolutely buzzing” too.
“We’re carrying the block around beforehand to raise awareness of what we’re doing,” said Jamie. “We’re hoping it will get people saying, ‘why are they doing that, what’s that about?’
“It’s such a bad idea, really,” he said, laughing, “but we want to make people and ourselves proud. And they are two great causes we are doing it for.”
The two met while growing up around the Horncastle/Tetford/Woodhall Spa area and have been friends ever since. “I wouldn’t pick anyone else but Callum for this challenge, because I know he’ll see it through.”
Jamie said friends and family would be waiting at the finish point. “They’ll be marking our progress on social media, I know there’s going to be a lot of people watching us.”