84-year-old Susan Walton, who helped pack aid parcels for post-war Europe as a child, is walking 100 miles this month for the same charity — nearly 80 years on
Susan Walton in her garden as a child – she will walk 100 miles for a charity she helped as a 5-year-old(Image: Submitted)
A Hull woman who helped pack aid parcels for families in post-war Europe as a young child is lacing up her walking boots in a bid to help the same charity almost 80 years later.
Susan Walton, 84, has signed up to CARE International UK’s ‘100 Miles in June’ challenge, which encourages supporters to walk 100 miles throughout the month to raise funds for families facing poverty, conflict and crisis around the world. For Susan, however, the challenge represents something much more personal. As a five-year-old living near New York in 1947, she remembers helping to pack parcels destined for families struggling in the aftermath of the Second World War.
CARE was founded in 1945 and became known for its CARE Packages, which delivered food and essential supplies to people across war-torn Europe, including the UK, where many families struggled in the wake of the war. The charity celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. Although Susan’s memories are now eight decades old, she still recalls packing cardboard boxes with other children at her school.
Susan said: “I was only four or five years old, but I can clearly remember these little cardboard boxes and being given things to put into each one. We were told they were going to help families in need across the Atlantic. I remember packets of sweets, probably because they were the things I would have liked to eat myself.”
Susan remembers the parcel-packing taking place in the grounds of the school she attended near New York during the summer months. The experience left a lasting impression. In 1946, Susan returned to Britain with her family for a few months to visit relatives in Liverpool. She said: “Even at such a young age, I was very aware of the contrasts between the difficult living conditions of our grandparents and relations in Liverpool compared to ours on the East Coast of America.” After settling in Hull following her marriage in 1967, Susan went on to teach history in local schools before lecturing for the University of Hull ‘s Adult Education Department. She later completed a PhD and remains an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Hull.
Now, nearly 80 years after helping to pack aid parcels, she is once again supporting CARE’s work, this time by lacing up her walking shoes. Susan said: “I love the sense of connection with the past as well as the ability to do something positive about the dreadful lives of so many women worldwide. When I saw CARE’s ‘100 Miles in June’ challenge, it occurred to me that, although now in my mid-80s, perhaps I could sign up. It felt like a wonderful full-circle moment.
Becki Young, Fundraising Director at CARE International UK, said: “Susan’s story is a remarkable reminder of CARE’s history and the power of compassion across generations. Very few people can say they have a personal connection to CARE’s earliest days and are still supporting our work almost 80 years later.”
People wishing to support Susan’s challenge can donate via her fundraising page . CARE International UK is encouraging people across the country to take part in its 100 Miles in June challenge to help support women and families affected by conflict, climate change and poverty around the world. For Susan, every mile walked is a reminder that small acts of kindness can have an impact that lasts a lifetime.
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