Carr Gomm Canal Challenge

Carr Gomm Canal Challenge 2023

In September 2023, staff, people we support, friends, family and supporters came together for the Carr Gomm Canal Challenge.

Across five days, they walked, wheeled and cycled from Govan, Glasgow to Craigmillar, Edinburgh along the canal towpaths, covering 99km and raising an incredible £5,000 for the #BigCarrGommChallenge.

 

 

 

This is how it went…

Day 1 – Govan to Kirkintillock

 

Under a grey sky, the Canal Challenge kicked off in Govan, with a lively chat about social care and community projects. Despite the relentless rain we trudged on and, just as we reached Kirkintilloch, the sun peeked out to congratulate us on the end of Day 1.

 

 

 

Four people and a dog walk along a canal in the sunshine
A selfie of two women and a man smiling at a camera - they are wrapped up warm!
A photo of a small brown dog - he looks happy!
A man and a woman are walking down a path
A man (Greg) stands under a sign which reads 'Forth & Clyde Canal'
A group photo of seven people holding a big purple Carr Gomm banner and a sign saying 'Go Walkers!'

Day 3 – Falkirk to Linlithgow

 

On Day 3 we were joined by our friends at ABRDN, and made great progress before stopping for a well-deserved treat at the infamous Milk Barn. Just before finishing up for the day, we were joined by our cycling cohort who had travelled all the way from Glasgow in one day!

 

 

A group photo of ten people and two dogs standing in front of canal boats
An image showing three people walking along a canal - there are lots of trees!
A group of people stand in a line along a canal
A woman (Cara) poses under an orange sign which reads 'Welcome to Europe's Largest Climbing Arena'

Day 5 – Ratho to Craigmillar

 

On the final day we pushed through blisters and achy joints and arrived at SPACE to a big celebration. We were joined by staff and friends to celebrate our achievement, and Lucy joined us via Zoom to congratulate the team on our fundraising. The day was topped off by Linda, who travelled through from Glasgow to entertain us with an incredible performance of ABBA’s Dancing Queen.

A group photo of eleven people and a dog standing outside of the Carr Gomm office in Fairfield, Glasgow
A group photo of people walking up a hill in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. At the front of the group is a woman in a wheelchair (Linda) cheering, with her arms raised. Another woman (Cara) is beaming behind her.
A photo of a rainbow
Two women (Cara and Kat) are wearing raincoats and smiling at the camera, it is raining hard!

Day 2 – Kirkintilloch to Falkirk

 

We spent a sunny morning strolling along the canal before being joined by staff members and their furry friends for a much needed moral boost. Forth Valley surprised us at the Falkirk Wheel with posters, banners and smiles to cheer us over the finish line of Day 2.

 

 

A group photo of twelve people and two dogs who are smiling outside a restaurant
A selfie of a man and a woman (Euan and Beth) with cycling jackets and helmets on
A photo of two dogs walking along the canal in the sunshine
Eleven people and two dogs pose with a statue of a cow outside of 'The Milk Barn' in Falkirk
A man and a woman (Greg and Diane) pose with their ice creams!
A birds eye photo of eleven people walking along the canal
A group photo of thirteen people with their arms raised in front of the Falkirk Wheel. There are also three dogs!

Day 4 – Linlithgow to Ratho

 

By Day 4, we were getting tired but we were joined by some new faces for the final push. We were treated to some beautiful weather and scenery and kept each other going with good conversation and laughter. We finally arrived at the EICC with sore feet and a renewed determination to complete the challenge.

 

 

 

A group photo of five people and a dog outside of Carr Gomm's head office SPACE at the end of the Canal Challenge
A woman walks her dog alongside a canal
A group photo of six people and a dog outside of the Edinburgh Ratho Climbing Centre
A photo of a blue Scottish Canal sign which reads 'Welcome to Lochrin Basin at Edinburgh Quay'
A woman in a blue shirt (Linda) in a wheelchair is dressed up like a member of ABBA and is performing a song
An image of six people and a dog sitting on a sofa in Carr Gomm fundraising t-shirt's which read 'Stomping out isolation and loneliness'

The Route

Day One

Govan to Kirkintilloch –19 km

Day Two

Kirkintilloch to Falkirk – 23 km

Day Three

Falkirk to Linlithgow – 18 km

Day Four

Linlithgow to Ratho – 18 km

Day Five

Ratho to SPACE (Craigmillar) – 21km
 

Where Your Money Goes

Fundraised money enables us to provide many varied additional opportunities for people and families across Scotland to come together and improve their lives.

Any amount of money fundraised can go a long way to providing new opportunities for people in Scotland. Our community projects give people a chance to meet new people, create new friendships, and develop and increase their sense of community by helping people to increase their confidence and determination to live a more fulfilling life.

Previous fundraised money has gone to projects, such as, Keep Warm Boxes for people in Argyll & Bute, running a Games Group for people in Glasgow and hosting a Cooking Club in Edinburgh.

For more on what we do with fundraised money, visit our Fundraising pages. 

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Canal Challenge, and to everyone who supported the team with encouragement and donations!

Carr Gomm
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