Minister tackles 70K in three days for global charity appeal

Revd John Purdy 53-year-old is taking part in a 70k in May challenge, as part of this year’s Christian Aid Week 2025.

The idea is to cover 70 kilometres in whatever way you like, in solidarity with millions of people who have to walk long distances for clean water or to sell their produce.

John, a Minister in the Sunderland Circuit, where he serves at Castletown, Fulwell and Roker Methodist Churches, is no stranger to long hikes. When he joined the Methodist Church in County Durham he walked 27 miles around 15 churches, in one day, to introduce himself.

For this challenge, he set off on Monday 5 May from the Tyne Bridge, in Newcastle and is aiming to walk his 70K route via Wearmouth Bridge and Tees Transporter Bridge, accompanied on much of it by his wife Vanessa.

He explained: “Every year, during Christian Aid Week, people across Britain and Ireland raise funds, act and pray for their global neighbours in a celebration of hope for a fairer world.

“Growing up in Northern Ireland we had Christian Aid but not house-to-house collections so much; when I came to university in Bradford all the churches there did it, and that’s how I got involved.

“I’m doing 70k in May in solidarity with those who have few options. It’s not a long distance when I’m off on holiday with time to relax. In fact, when I first came to work in the North East, I walked with Christian Aid supporters in local and regional events, and with others around the churches in the circuit where I served. But 70k as part of a daily routine, as a forced consequence of climate change, is a different matter. As a member of Green Christian, the environmental side of Christian Aid's work strongly appeals to me.

“The plan is to walk on the three Mondays in May - so we still have May 12 and 19 - and we’d love people to join us along the way. Please message us via the sponsor page or Christian Aid’s North East and Cumbria Facebook page.”

Helping Guatemala in 2025

Money raised during Christian Aid Week will help the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.

This year’s appeal - from 11 to 17 May - is focussing on work in Guatemala, in Central America, where climate change is causing the seasons to intensify and shift erratically. As a result, farming communities have to battle severe floods and, more recently, ferocious heatwaves. Water sources are drying up and vital crops are failing, plunging farming families into hunger and poverty.

Despite the challenges families are facing, the unstoppable power of hope drives people to look for ways to push back.

Christian Aid has been working with organisations like, Coordinación de ONG y Cooperativas, to offer training and tools so farmers can diversify and grow more resilient crops, build water recycling systems using household items, and create organic fertiliser. They are also supported with selling produce locally and campaigning for their rights against land grabs by industrial plantations.

To support John please visit his fundraising page Rev John's walking challenge for May - Christian Aid Fundraise, and to find out more about projects like these and how to get involved, visit Christian Aid website.