Lower Hopton club tackles Easter challenge for Mirfield schoolgirl Zoe

Seven men from Lower Hopton Working Men’s Club aim to walk from York to Mirfield in a day to raise money for two good causes.

And the trek will be a thank you to Mirfield schoolgirl Zoe McGough, 12, who has helped out at a few club fundraisers despite suffering from a rare blood condition.

Zoe’s mum, Debbie, is setting up a support group for the carers of people with haemophilia and blood disorders and half the proceeds from the walk will go to this new organisation. The other half is for Help for Heroes.

Club member Eddie Wilson said: “None of us are particularly keen walkers so we are getting into training now.

“The distance is between 40 and 50 miles so it’s a fair way to go. But if you are going to do something, do it right.”

The walkers, aged between their early 20s and mid-50s, will leave York at 5am on Easter Saturday and aim to be back at the club by 9pm.

Mr Wilson said: “Zoe has helped us out at the club and so doing this for her mum’s new group is by way of a thank you.”

Mrs McGough is teaming up with other parents to start the Yorkshire support group. Zoe’s condition affects her clotting mechanism and she requires daily medication.

Mrs McGough said: “The aim is to support each other, have activity days for the children, days out and so on.”

Anyone interested in joining the walkers or sponsoring them should contact Lower Hopton WMC.