The Fleet House Light Blues Club recently hosted a charity walk around St Albans to raise funds for mental health charity Mind and in memory of club member Charles Wandrag, who sadly took his own life earlier in the year after suffering with mental illness.
Nearly 30 club members and guests, including Charles’ wife and mother-in-law, joined together on Saturday, 29 June to raise awareness of mental health issues (and specifically men’s mental health) by walking an eight-mile route around and through St Albans.
The walk took place on the hottest day of the wear so far so plenty of sun cream was needed on the way to the first stop at the ruins of old Gorhambury House. Such was the heat that the group had no choice but to seek refreshment at a nearby public house, where the first of several rounds of ‘heads or tails’ took place to raise some more money for Mind.
The group proceeded onwards, with two further pub stops and a buffet, before heading on to the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban where they took a moment to come out of the sunshine and light candles in memory of Charles. Attention was also drawn to the cathedral’s pulpit, which features the emblem of Charles’ Mother Lodge, Halsey Lodge No 1479.
The walk finished back at Ashwell House where everyone enjoyed a well-earned beverage and a second buffet, supplied by FHLBC Events Secretary, Luke Crouch. There the club were pleased to announce that the amount raised totalled an impressive £3,300; every penny of which would go to Mind to help prevent the needless loss of those struggling with mental health issues in the future.
A video, documenting the day, can be viewed below. The club are still collecting donations, so please consider contributing to this very worthy cause by clicking here.
