PRESS RELEASE

Date: 06 August 2012 (11am) Garry walks on the wild side for the Coffee Caravan
Many of us enjoy a stroll along Suffolks beautiful coastal path. Few of us would attempt it all 50 miles of it in one go and fewer still would turn round and walk all the way back again! That is exactly what The Rural Coffee Caravan Information Projects Garry Simmonds intends to do in order to raise much needed funds for this unique and much loved Suffolk charity. Garrys expedition begins on 5 September 2012. His journey starts at Languard Fort in Felixstowe and over the following 8 days he will walk to Lowestoft and back again, around 100 miles in total. His challenge includes a sense of survival as he will camp out in the dunes most nights and arriving back at Languard Fort on 13 September hopefully around 4pm. Garry has been a project officer for the Coffee Caravan charity since April 2010 and is passionate about the work it does. He says, I am constantly amazed when I speak to another rural resident who has never heard of some of the wonderful supportive services we have here in Suffolk and so isnt receiving the help they need. It is vital that we try to reach as many people as possible to give them access to everything that is available. The charity is a member of The Campaign to End Loneliness and also tackles the problem of rural isolation, defined as the feeling of powerlessness and disconnection experienced by individuals or groups as a consequence of living in a rural area. Its services focus on supporting rural people by travelling throughout the county and setting up their Coffee Caravan (mobile caf) that delivers free social meeting and event opportunities that provide not only information on vital services and initiatives, but tea and cake and the chance for a chat, something many service users have said they sorely miss. Canon Sally Fogden, Project Founder, is delighted that Garry has volunteered for this mammoth undertaking and has promised that the project will support him every inch of the way. Sally says We are very much hoping to turn this into a bit of an event and ask people to support Garry not only with donations but also by walking a little way with him or by joining him in the evening for a much needed drink and some company.
The Rural Coffee Caravan service needs to reach more people living in rural areas and

enable them to access vital services to improve their lives. By sponsoring Garry's mammoth effort, you can help us to achieve this. Garys fundraising pages are: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/garry100miles/88267

PRESS RELEASE
Or see the link on our website: www.ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk Garry will tweet along the way so keep up with his progress and give him support by following @garrysimmonds

ENDS Attached Photograph1: Gary getting ready for his Suffolk Coast Walking Challenge For further information please contact the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Service on 01379 855338 EDITOR NOTES The Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project in Suffolk is a small community project working to combat rural isolation; ensuring that people living in this rural area receive friendship through coffee, tea and homemade cakes, along with essential information about local organisations and the services they offer. Their mobile caravan visits villages with few or no amenities and offers a free caf, usually set up on the village green, and access to a wealth of information aimed at improving quality of life e.g. health, benefits, support groups and local organisations. They work closely with the agencies offering these services and their volunteers chat with visitors and introduce those that haven't met with the aim of building community spirit and cohesion and reducing loneliness. In addition, they offer to help communities set up their own groups and also visit other coffee mornings and lunch clubs to offer access to the information. The Project also holds regular and increasingly popular Golden Age Fairs in rural and semi rural locations, bringing support agencies, sporting, cultural and entertaining activities together under one roof alongside a free afternoon tea, offering large numbers of visitors the chance to access a wide range of information whilst enjoying a free day out. For more details please contact us using these details. For more information contact Ann Osborn, Project Manager, Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project, The Old Shop, Harleston Rd, Weybread, Diss, IP21 5TU. Tel: 01379 855338 www.ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk