Ramsey vicar to walk 70 miles for charity

YOU might expect a vicar to go the extra mile but Richard Darmody, of St Thomas a Becket Church in Ramsey is planning to walk 70. Rev Darmody, 57, who is also a canon at Ely Cathedral, hopes to raise �50,000 to help rebuild a school in Uganda. He, his wif

YOU might expect a vicar to go the extra mile but Richard Darmody, of St Thomas a Becket Church in Ramsey is planning to walk 70.

Rev Darmody, 57, who is also a canon at Ely Cathedral, hopes to raise �50,000 to help rebuild a school in Uganda. He, his wife, June and four friends have decided to set off from the cathedral on Monday, March 1 and walk 15 miles a day, to arrive at Norwich Football Club a week later.

They are hoping that the club chairman, chef Delia Smith will greet them on their arrival. Rev Darmody is originally from Norwich and his father, Aubrey played as a full-back for the team.

Rev Darmody told The Hunts Post: "This expedition started off as something small, just me going for a walk and it has escalated. It is like an elaborate dance, one person stands up and is prepared to make a fool of themselves and suddenly you have a conga. It is amazing what you can do. We have had support from elderly ladies to politicians."

The walk is being supported by the MP for North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh Vara, whose family lived in Uganda until Asians were expelled by President Idi Amin in the 1970s.

Richard and June Darmody have visited Uganda four times at the invitation of Ugandan bishop, Edward Muhima, who visited Ramsey in 2005 and they have met the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni.

Rev Darmody said: "On our last visit, we looked out of the window and a young lad walked past with a jerry can on his head. He had to go to the pump to get water to take home before he could even start out for school."

Parishioners at St Thomas a Beckett have been raising money over several years for the school in Uganda.. Last year, they raised �600 by donating money instead of sending each other Christmas cards and they expect to have raised a similar sum this year.

Joining the Darmodys on the walk will be Martin Muir, a haematologist at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Jeremy Summerill, the retired head of Bury Primary School, Sharon Pollard, funeral director from Swearers in Ramsey and Alan Howard, from Norwich, a schoolfriend of Richard Darmody.