Mother of three plans Swindon to Brighton trek to raise cash for youth charity

Mum of three, Mara Soto, is planning to walk 130 miles from Swindon to Brighton to raise money to support a Swindon youth charity.

Freelance journalist Mara, originally from Cuba but now living in Stratton, is no stranger to ambitious charity challenges. In September she walked from Swindon to London to raise almost £400 to support Julie Basleigh who sadly recently died after a brave battle against cancer.

Mara, who is mother to Kimberly, 21, Cassandra, 16, and Kiyomi, 4, has also previously completed a 62 mile walk in Kampala, Uganda to raise money for a new school building.

Speaking about her latest bid, which Mara aims to undertake on October 6, she said: “Bullying is something I feel very strongly about, it has huge implications for young people and their mental health and unfortunately it seems to be on the increase. Charities such as STEP do some great work to help children who are affected.”

Charity project manager Paul Dobson explained: “Swindon 10 to 18 Project (STEP), is a local charity that has been supporting children and young people from across the Borough for the last 33 years. It provides therapeutic group work for young people.

“All the Project’s activities are appropriate to each individual referred and their specific abilities and interests - enabling everyone to fully access, participate in and engage with the activities we provide.

Throughout the 14-week programmes, children and young people are helped to reflect upon their current thoughts, feelings and behaviours and to discover ways to overcome and improve those behaviours. This helps them to be active and productive members of their families, peer groups, schools and wider communities, and gives them the opportunity to take those changes into later life.”

The money raised by Mara’s walking challenge will provide therapeutic and play resources that directly support the therapeutic work they provide, enhancing the experience for all those who engage with the service.

Mara plans to set off from Swindon’s Designer Outlet village and walk to Brighton Pier - and is inviting anyone interested in taking part to join her at different stages along the route.

“I’ve already got some people who are going to accompany me along the way, including some of the young people who have benefitted from the work of STEP. It’s going to be great fun - I just love doing things like this. My friends say I’m a bit like Forrest Gump, I just keep going. I’m always looking out for the next challenge and I love to help people.”

Mara is already preparing for the walking challenge by hitting the gym and has been supported by SNES fitness who have provided her with specialist food supplements to support her fitness regime.

Mara can be contacted via email at [email protected]

Anyone interested in supporting Mara’s fundraising efforts can donate to her just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/Mara-Soto

Find out more about the Swindon Step charity here