So, on to Adventure Number 3 – all in the name of raising funds for Dentaid.
I have just had a very scary email come through, confirming that my next challenge starts at 7.20am on Saturday 10th September 2022 at Bishops Park, Fulham, London. I will be walking 100km on the Thames Path.
I am once again walking for Dentaid – an incredible charity. Those of you who regularly read the Dental Nurse Network news will know that I (and DNN) are keen Dentaid supporters.
I have been fortunate enough over the last few years not only to fundraise for Dentaid but to volunteer as a dental nurse on the mobile dental unit and be involved in their BrightBites oral health education programme.
I have long been aware of Dentaid, but previously knew them for their fantastic work providing dental care in other countries – funding and supporting the training of dental professionals and providing their incredible DentaidBox to allow greater access to dental care in remote areas around the globe (https://www.dentaid.org/overseas/the-dentaidbox/).
Recently, and perhaps incredibly tragically, Dentaid has become a vital resource in the UK, stepping in to enable a range of patient groups to access care through its mobile dental units. I am sure we have all seen the recent headlines and articles relating to the lack of NHS dental care provision and how patients who are unable to afford private dental care are struggling to access help. Dentaid is supporting what is rapidly becoming a failing system – although this is not the fault of the dental teams. The most difficult part of the media attention to the problem for us as dental teams is that no one seems to be explaining the reasons for the issues or providing any solutions – they are keen to simply point them out!
I am now going off on a tangent, though … back to the point of this article.
Dentaid is a vital service and has started to meet the needs of our society when others cannot. So once again, I am asking for help to support the charity and to encourage my poor feet to face the fact that once again they will likely be blistered and without toenails for a while. (Those of you who love a juicy abscess would love the state my feet get into during these walks).
Together with my friend and companion on these walks, Polly, I will be setting out from Fulham on the Saturday and finishing at Henley on the Sunday – hopefully sometime around lunch. From previous experiences, we know we will find ourselves slowing down around 6am on Sunday morning. If anyone lives or works along this route – particularly on the Saturday morning, if you are an earlier riser – please come down to Fulham and cheer us on our way.
I will provide an update after the event as to how we got on, and I will try to update the DNN Facebook page as we go, so keep an eye out for posts.
In the meantime, if you or your dental practice can do so, please do support our efforts via my Just Giving page and help me smash my target. Over and out for now!