Committee members of London’s County Carlow Association will celebrate their upcoming 40th anniversary by organising a 40-mile sponsored walk in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, over the Irish Bank Holiday Weekend of 31st May / 1st June.

The County Carlow Association of London will be raising money for the Friends of Calcutta, the humanitarian charity, founded in 1994, that educates over 1800 children in some of the poorest areas of India. The founder of the charity, Michael Hopkins, became Carlow’s 2006 International Person of the Year for his dedication and commitment to the poor of Calcutta.

Claire Nolan-Sturley, chair of the Association, explains all:

At our Dinner Dance last year Michael was our guest of honour. In a very moving after dinner speech he spoke of his association with Mother Theresa and how he gained great strength and inspiration whilst working alongside her as she worked with the world’s poorest. The gathering at the dinner was so touched by his sincerity and his dedication to the cause the idea of a fundraising project was suggested with a forty-mile walk for the association’s forty year’s of existence”

Pembrokeshire was chosen for the walk for a number of reasons:

• It is easily accessibility to both Carlow, located in southeast Ireland, and London
• A joint initiative between Pembrokeshire and County Carlow already exists: The Cultural X-change Project which is a joint initiative to create two virtual museums, one for each county
• The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path is a well recognised walking route with some fantastic scenic views along the way

Responses from both Carlow Council and Pembrokeshire Council have been very positive. It is expected that both councils will be represented on the morning of the start.

The walkers taking part are:

• Claire Nolan-Sturley (Carlow Town)
• Garry Sturley (London born)
• Ned Dunbar (Ardriston)
• Anne Nolan (Carlow Town)
• Bob Monaghan (Bagenalstown)
• Peter O’Brien (Cloughna)
• John Nolan (Bagenalstown)

Claire added:

We opted for a 40-mile walk to coincide with our 40th Annual Dinner Dance on Saturday 11th October. We haven’t yet decided what we’ll do for the 50th!”

The County Carlow Association of London welcomes anyone that would like to sponsor any of the walkers to contact us using our online contact form. Alternatively, potential sponsors can call Catherina Clarke on 0208 354 8501 or 07789 226734

NOTICE TO EDITORS:

The Friends of Calcutta was formed in 1994. and has become one of the leading lights in the field of humanitarian aid and funds 8 schools educating 1800 children. The schools are located in 5 of the most disadvantaged areas of the city. It was formed after Michael Hopkins’ first visit to Calcutta, a place Mother Theresa called the ‘city of joy’.

Friends of Calcutta is an Irish voluntary organization which works in partnership with Indian groups, to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta realize their dignity and develop their potential, mainly through the education of deprived children and care of the destitute elderly and ensures that all contributions to any funds are totally given to the projects indicated. The membership of the charity includes men and women of different walks of life, different faiths and different professional commitments, drawn from Ireland and from Calcutta.

Full Press Release:

CCAL Press Release Pembrokeshire Walk – May 2008 (PDF)