On the bright fresh Saturday morning of 5th May, a number of walkers and well-wishers gathered outside Selby Abbey.

The fourteen intrepid trekkers consisted of nine team members from the Selby NFU Mutual branch, Jenny Campbell (Area Manager) and four spouses. 

At 8am, a line of lime-green York Against Cancer t-shirts set off from the Abbey, at a good pace. 

We followed the Selby to York cycle-path, which is also known as the Solar System walk due to the models of the planets placed along the path.

Between Neptune and Uranus, we were cheered when the news came through that we’d been mentioned on BBC Radio York.

We were even more pleased, when, between Saturn and Jupiter (at eleven miles), we stopped at the Naburn Station café, where the owners refused to accept payment for the teas and coffees they served us.

Just beyond the sun, at York Racecourse, it was obvious that the fifteen miles given on the internet was as the crow files. All bets were on as to our actual distance to York Minster.

We entered the busy city centre of York and, after seventeen miles, we arrived at the Minster.  The gentleman on the door of the Minster, on hearing about our efforts, invited us all in free of charge for a sit-down, but our oasis in York appeared in the form of the Hole In The Wall pub, which provided a welcome rest for our aching muscles.

Over £1,700 has been raised so far!  There’s still an opportunity to donate so, if you’d like to do so, please contact the Selby branch on 01757 704336.

The walkers would like to say a big thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters and well-wishers!

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) is a grant making charity that supports members of the farming community facing need, hardship or distress. Founded in 1860 they have an unbroken history of providing long term care and emergency help. The help is provided for retired farmers, farm workers, working farmers and their families who find themselves in financial difficulty.