Lead story: the wonderful dogs going walkies for BAS!

The BAS Charity Walk isn’t just for humans: each year, more and more dogs are taking part too. 

Some of those best friends play a key part in helping the walkers get round the course… and some will be assisting their owners’ long-term recovery journey: every “walkie” can be an extra step towards rebuilding lives affected by stroke.

The rosette and doggy treats at the end are fitting rewards for their efforts!

One of the most memorable images of this year’s walk was the sight of Kelly John and her six-year-old rescue pooch Marvin… lining up at the start of the race and both sporting a BAS t-shirt.

We caught up with Kelly when she popped into our office later in the month to bring in the astonishing amount of £474 sponsorship money, generously donated by friends and family.

So why did she and Marvin join us for the walk? And how did she find it?

“I did the mile route – and it was exhausting,” she says. “I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder two years ago, a condition that is often misdiagnosed as a stroke. I initially lost use of my left-hand side and have had communications problems. 

“There’s been a lot of pain and tiredness to deal with too.

“But the reason I joined the walk was for my friend Nigel Murley, who did have a very severe stroke a couple of months ago. He has had a very difficult time and gone through a number of operations since: the stroke left him unable to walk or talk, but he has been defying all of the expectations of him making any sort of recovery.

“It was for Nigel and for others like him that I did the walk… and it was inspiring to talk to so many other people who have been on very difficult recovery journeys and have simply refused to give up.

“Next year, I’ll be aiming to do the three miler!”