1st April 2025

If anyone reading this has known me over the past 8 or so years, you’ll know that occasionally I’ll do a bit of fundraising.

In March 2017, with Wee Daftie strapped to my front and back, I walked for Cancer Research in support of a good Mammy Mate of mine who was diagnosed with breast cancer, only a few months after giving birth to her daughter.

We did it again the following year.

And the year after that.

In January 2021, Wee Daftie and I walked the length and bredth of Edinburgh (during the second lockdown so we did it all very safely and socially distantly) in support of Refuge.

This April, my girl and I will be Strolling for Simba. A beautiful Scottish charity who help to support and provide comfort to parents and families who experience the loss of a baby. I will be taking more about why this charity is so important to me in due course but I wanted to start our current challenge off on a happy foot, as it were.

Usually, the target for each challenge is to walk 10,000 steps per day for the whole month. So we’re going to aim for that, or thereabouts, this time round.

I decided that we would start with a small (ish) walk with a very achievable goal of waking home from school.

The weather was the spring dream of blue skies, sun on your skin and a nice chill in the shade. Armed with a camera, a sunhat and a rabbit called Jacinta we were off!

We could have walked up the hill, past the Western General, but where is the fun in that? If we’re going to raise money for charity, we may as well do it properly!

We took the long, lovely, scenic road home along part of the Water of Leith. We left Comely Bank, went through Inverleith Park (waved at the aquatic antics of the birds as we passed), walked the paths through Canonmills and home past Goldenacre.

These are paths I know so well. We have walked them together since Wee Daftie was born so it is always fun to have a nosy, spot a squirrel and chat as we make our way through some of my favourite bits of Edinburgh.

It always amazes me how busy, yet quiet, the paths can be. And I never tire of the views.

We hit our target, according to my fitness app at least, as we turned the corner to home. Just in time to make dinner and rest our limbs.

An utterly perfect start to what will be a very meaningful month of meandering.

Thanks for supporting us. As I say, I will talk more about why Simba is important in general but also specifically to the Daft Family Household.

We’d love you to donate, to share, to read and to walk with us. We appreciate all the help and support we get.

Day One done. Happy Wee and Not-So-Wee Dafties!

This is our fundraising link. Feel free to use it! 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/carolynne-murphy-3?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL