We did it! Wanderwalk: 60 Miles. 2 Days. 1 Cause.
Over two days, I walked over 60 miles across Greater Manchester - from Wigan to Salford - visiting all ten boroughs to raise money for A Bed Every Night, a part of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity.
It’s a charity walk I’ll never forget:
The route was long (almost 23 hours walking!).
The stops were meaningful (getting to explore a little of each borough and learn its story).
And the conversations reminded me why we do what we do.
From sunrise in Wigan to our finish line in Salford Civic Centre, each stop brought insight into the unique identity, priorities and planning challenges of Greater Manchester’s boroughs.
Day One Highlights – July 3
Wigan → Bolton: Kicked off at 5:45am with David Fairclough, director at Progressive Living setting the tone for the day.
Bolton Town Hall: An amazing welcome at Bolton’s magnificent town hall, where the doors of the Hall of Memories were opened for us.
Bury: Huge thanks to David for walking the first 17+ miles with me.
Rochdale: Spectacular views across Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture ‘25-’26
By Oldham Civic Centre, my legs were heavy but spirits high.
Even the halfway point felt like a big achievement - tired but motivated for day two.
Day Two Highlights – July 4
Tameside → Stockport: A crisp morning start accompanied by my wife, Kelly.
Stockport → Trafford: Massive appreciation to Paul Richards, Director of Development and Regeneration for Stockport Council for his time, and to co-walkers Amy Glasgow & Elin Davies from Knights Plc, Tim Claxton from Tim Claxton Property Ltd, and James Ketley for the company.
Trafford Town Hall: Thank you to Richard Roe, Corporate Director of Place at Trafford Council for making time to speak with me.
Manchester → Salford: I stopped to chat with Cllr Gavin White at Manchester’s City Library, before a final push with Ellie Philcox and Kurt Partington, Head of Development at Salford City Council who joined us for the last few miles.
Crossing the finish line at Salford Civic Centre, I felt exhausted but proud - and incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me on the way.
A Heartfelt Thank You
Not long after I crossed the finish line I just about managed to pull together a few words which you can hear in in the video above.
To every walking buddy, local council leader and everyone who’s donated and cheered me on - we did it together.
Thank you for sharing your boroughs’ story with me, and for supporting this challenge and the incredible work of A Bed Every Night.
This walk wasn’t just about miles. It was about people, place and what happens when we work together for something bigger.
Euan
P.s. I’ve nearly reached my target… Can you help us hit it? Here’s my JustGiving page.
