Kidlington pair take on African trek in aid of sick animals

Katie Alder and Tara Ryan, who work at Beaumont Vets, in Kidlington, will spend eight days walking 62 miles in Tanzania in a bid to raise £6,000 for the animal welfare charity Blue Cross, which is based in Burford.

Miss Alder, from West Challow, near Wantage, has been visiting the gym three times a week with Miss Ryan in preparation for the trek.

She has also been walking her dogs, a collie cross, Buzz, and a Jack Russell, Jake, to improve her fitness.

The pair are hoping to raise about £3,000 each.

Miss Alder said: “I’ve had a passion for animals since I was a child and the work Blue Cross does for animals is so important.

“When I told my family and friends about the trek they were very surprised because I’ve never done anything like it before.

“Training has been really hard, especially as we both work such long hours, so what we’ve been doing is walking the dogs as a way of getting fit.

“It’s a lot of money and it’s difficult to get people to sponsor us because of the recession but they say England is a nation of animal lovers so hopefully we will make our target.”

The pair will be in Tanzania from June 11 to 21.

The route will take them through Maasai villages and by volcanoes.

They may well see wild game, such as zebras, antelopes, and giraffes and will have the chance to climb the Kitumbeine volcano.

Miss Ryan, 23, of Oxford Road, Kidlington, said: “One day a poster came into the vets advertising the trek and Katie and I looked at each other and just said, ‘What the heck?’.

“The Blue Cross doesn’t get any Government support so it’s a really worthy charity and needs all the help it can get.

“I’ve also got a dog, a three-year-old boxer, called Wilson, so we can take them together on practice walks, and spur each other on.”

They are also doing a sponsored walk at Port Meadow, Oxford, on Sunday, March 21, from 10am. For more details or to get a sponsorship form, call the nurses on 01865 373397.