Banbury councillor with cancer undertakes Walk of Life for his community
A Banbury councillor who suffers a rare cancer is undertaking a ‘Walk of Life’ to raise money for projects on his patch.
Oxfordshire County Councillor Paul-Austin Sargent has described the ambitious 88-mile sponsored walk from Stamford, Lincolnshire to Banbury as his ‘last hurrah’.
The walk, along the length of the Jurrasic Way, begins on Saturday and Mr Sargent is urging supporters to donate to the good causes on his JustGiving page here.
Earlier this year, Mr Sargent was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. At the end of March, following months of hospitalisation, he was unable to walk unaided.
Now, much stronger - thanks to the support of the Brodey Cancer Centre at the Horton General Hospital - he is able to take on a long-distance walk.
Facing an uncertain future, he has decided to dedicate one of his remaining major personal challenges to raising money for the community he was elected to serve.
"This will probably be my last hurrah before this awful disease finishes me off,” he said.
"I could spend my remaining time feeling sorry for myself but that isn't who I am. When I was elected, I made promises to the people of Grimsbury and Castle and I intend to keep them.
"The Walk of Life is my way of doing something positive with the time I have left. If I can raise money for new trees, better public spaces, community facilities and environmental improvements while bringing people together, then every mile will be worthwhile."
Mr Sargent’s walk will take place over nine stages between September 19 – 30. He is inviting supporters to join him at any stage of this ‘deeply personal journey’.
“The funds raised will help deliver a range of community projects across the division including new benches, tree planting, living walls, interpretation boards, play equipment and other public realm improvements,” he said.
He says existing council funding alone is insufficient to deliver all the improvements he wants to see, prompting him to launch the fundraising campaign.
The route will start in Stamford, Lincolnshire and travel through the Northamptonshire countryside before finishing at Castle Quay in Banbury.
Residents, friends, local organisations, businesses and fellow councillors are invited to support the initiative, whether by donating, walking part of the route, or helping to spread the word.
Throughout his time as a councillor, Sargent has campaigned for better infrastructure, improved landscape projects, stronger communities and investment in Banbury. He hopes the Walk of Life will leave a lasting legacy for local residents.
"This isn't about me," he said. "It's about making sure the community benefits long after I'm gone. If people can come together to support these projects, then we can create something lasting, special and worthwhile for future generations."
Mr Sargent has to return to County Hall for an unscheduled hearing of the Planning and Regulation Committee next Monday, September 21. He will count this as a rest day.
He has set an initial target of £1,000 but hopes to raise as much as possible for his community.
The route is Stamford to King’s Cliffe, Stage: King’s Cliffe to Rockingham; Rockingham to Stoke Albany; Stoke Albany to Sibbertoft; Sibbertoft to West Haddon; West Haddon to Braunston; Braunston to Woodford Halse; Woodford Halse to Middleton Cheney and Middleton Cheney to Banbury.