Bestwood Village man Ian hoping to be top of the league with Premier walking challenge

A football fan from Bestwood Village is taking on an epic Premier League trek to raise money for the Guide Dogs charity.
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Ian West, 67, will be walking to every Premier League football club across the country over the next five months.

His quest started with a trip to Selhurst Park in London for the opening game of the season between Crystal Palace and Arsenal on August 5.

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He is subsequently be walking to each of the other 19 Premier League grounds, ending his epic football march on New Year’s Eve at the City Ground in Nottingham for Nottingham Forest’s match against Chelsea.

Ian West with guide dog Banjo he raised £7,000 to help train in 2018Ian West with guide dog Banjo he raised £7,000 to help train in 2018
Ian West with guide dog Banjo he raised £7,000 to help train in 2018

Ian, who spent 31 years in the Royal Navy, is taking on the challenge wearing a jacket featuring 20 knitted guide dogs, each representing one of the teams and wearing their colours.

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He completed a solo walk around the UK coast for the charity in 2018 and raised more than £7,000 which was used to name and support guide dog puppy Banjo.

He said: “I’m excited to take on this challenge, it’s a great charity.

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"I want to do whatever I can to help them support people living with sight loss, to live the life that they choose.”

Ian’s brother has been diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, a condition which affects your central vision, which has inspired him to raise more funds and awareness for the charity.

Nichola Bonsall, community fundraising relationship manager at Guide Dogs, said: “We are extremely grateful for Ian’s continued support as a fundraiser and that he is taking on another incredible fundraising challenge.

“It costs £54,800 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement and, as a charity, we rely almost entirely on public donations.

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“If you can spare a few pounds, please support him and help him reach his target.”

Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives.

Of those, around 180,000 rarely leave their homes alone and lead lonely, isolated lives and Guide Dogs want to help those people.

To support Ian’s fundraiser, click here.

To find out more about Guide Dogs, click here.