Today I've been involved in one of those glorious activities that brings the whole of the university community together - the 'One Day Big Walk Challenge.' Over 120 of us have just walked the 19 miles from Edale in the Peak District National Park back to the University to raise money for research into pulmonary arterial hypertension - a terrible disease that has a lower life expectancy than even the 'worst' of the cancers, pancreatic cancer. 100 or so of us joined 21 colleagues who had already walked the Pennine Way from north to south, adding the extra lap back to Sheffield.
So what was so good about it?
Well firstly the scenery was spectacular. We made the steep climb up from Edale to Hollins Cross in glorious sunshine, with mist lingering on the top of Kinder Scout to our west (it was early - not long after 8 o'clock). Then we had the Edale Valley on our left and Castleton on our right as we descended to Hope. Later we climbed the old Roman causeway to reach Stanage Edge and then walked along that to Burbage and thence back to Sheffield along the Ringinglow Road and down the Round Walk, in lovely early autumn afternoon sunshine.
Then there was the camaraderie, and the chance to walk and talk with so many colleagues from all over the university. Although the Vice-Chancellor was not able to join us, there were three current University Executive Board members on the walk, as well as two recent departees (one of them being me). But it was the chance conversations with people from all faculties and from all professional services that made it so memorable. It's nice to meet new people as well as seeing old friends and colleagues in different situations. There were porters, technicians, research funding managers, learning and teaching support people, human resources specialists, as well as many academics from every faculty. I was surprised to find two Chinese postgraduate students with us - they had only arrived in Sheffield two months ago but saw this as an opportunity to explore the English countryside. I walked at different points with pro-Vice-Chancellors and secretaries, IT technicians and senior lecturers, planning officers and events organisers. For much of the journey I was in a middle group who took our breaks together. It was only in the last few miles that we got more strung out.
And then there was the reaction from others not involved in the walk. A walker from Manchester joined my group at one point and was impressed by what we were doing. The Anglers' Rest in Bamford had a welcome sign out for all of us, and a free bottle of water for those who wished to claim it, our graduate and honorary graduate the distinguished mountaineer Andy Cave joined us for a few miles, a walking group near Burbage listened with interest to the story of what we were raising money for, and coming back into the city people were asking us how far we had walked and what our cause was. (We were by then all wearing matching tee-shirts proclaiming our cause.)
So, it was great day in all respects. And despite my advancing age my feet and legs stood up better to the challenge than did those of some much younger colleagues: 'training walks' over the last few weeks (although none had been anything like as long as 19 miles) had clearly helped.
So has it been worth it in terms of the research funding objective? Well the overall team's total stands at around £55k, against a total of £60k which we should reach. Anyone wanting to contribute to my own total (currently just under £400) can do so at
https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-White40/
But that has been only part of it. To me, one of the greatest aspects of the day has been the university acting as an integrated community. The worlds of too many people are confined to their own department or service: today was a chance to open the door on the wider university.
So what was so good about it?
Well firstly the scenery was spectacular. We made the steep climb up from Edale to Hollins Cross in glorious sunshine, with mist lingering on the top of Kinder Scout to our west (it was early - not long after 8 o'clock). Then we had the Edale Valley on our left and Castleton on our right as we descended to Hope. Later we climbed the old Roman causeway to reach Stanage Edge and then walked along that to Burbage and thence back to Sheffield along the Ringinglow Road and down the Round Walk, in lovely early autumn afternoon sunshine.
Then there was the camaraderie, and the chance to walk and talk with so many colleagues from all over the university. Although the Vice-Chancellor was not able to join us, there were three current University Executive Board members on the walk, as well as two recent departees (one of them being me). But it was the chance conversations with people from all faculties and from all professional services that made it so memorable. It's nice to meet new people as well as seeing old friends and colleagues in different situations. There were porters, technicians, research funding managers, learning and teaching support people, human resources specialists, as well as many academics from every faculty. I was surprised to find two Chinese postgraduate students with us - they had only arrived in Sheffield two months ago but saw this as an opportunity to explore the English countryside. I walked at different points with pro-Vice-Chancellors and secretaries, IT technicians and senior lecturers, planning officers and events organisers. For much of the journey I was in a middle group who took our breaks together. It was only in the last few miles that we got more strung out.
And then there was the reaction from others not involved in the walk. A walker from Manchester joined my group at one point and was impressed by what we were doing. The Anglers' Rest in Bamford had a welcome sign out for all of us, and a free bottle of water for those who wished to claim it, our graduate and honorary graduate the distinguished mountaineer Andy Cave joined us for a few miles, a walking group near Burbage listened with interest to the story of what we were raising money for, and coming back into the city people were asking us how far we had walked and what our cause was. (We were by then all wearing matching tee-shirts proclaiming our cause.)
So, it was great day in all respects. And despite my advancing age my feet and legs stood up better to the challenge than did those of some much younger colleagues: 'training walks' over the last few weeks (although none had been anything like as long as 19 miles) had clearly helped.
So has it been worth it in terms of the research funding objective? Well the overall team's total stands at around £55k, against a total of £60k which we should reach. Anyone wanting to contribute to my own total (currently just under £400) can do so at
https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-White40/
But that has been only part of it. To me, one of the greatest aspects of the day has been the university acting as an integrated community. The worlds of too many people are confined to their own department or service: today was a chance to open the door on the wider university.
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