Charity Hot Stepping for Cumbria Floods Appeal
By Niall Spence
A group of fleet footed Cumbrians are literally walking on hot coals to break a world record and get flood hit residents back in their homes.
Hot Stepping for Floods are holding a family fun day at Carlisle Rugby Club on 10 December. The day will feature something for everyone including activities such as Zorbing, pamper sessions and a charity rugby game. The day will culminate with a huge firewalk where they will try and break the Guinness World Record for the most people to firewalk at a single event.
The record is currently held by the Eastbourne Scouts of Wellington, New Zealand who managed a massive 608 people firewalking consecutively.
Event organiser, Collette McQueen said: “We’re running the charity event to help everyone that has been flooded or affected by the floods and to help people get back into their homes. We thought that it would be the ideal time to do it on the anniversary of the floods.
“It’s all about getting families back into their homes, the people who weren’t insured or who have had a nightmare with the loss adjusters. It wasn’t just people’s homes that were lost, people lost the family pets and the whole family dynamic has been disrupted for a lot of people; with parents and children and grandparents all being placed all over. It has been such an emotionally draining time for lots of families.
“Firewalking just seemed to fit in so well with the theme, if we can survive treading water with the floods we can survive treading on the hot embers. It just seemed a perfect way to respect the anniversary, bring people together and put Carlisle back on the map but this time with a positive spin.”
Collette was a hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner and a life coach based in Carlisle as Storm Desmond hit last year.
She said: “I opened my business on December 4 and the floods hit on the 5. As soon as the floods hit I started going round the hostels and shelters, doing charity work straight away. I’ve been going around Carlisle and helping those people with anxiety, stress and PTSD as a result of the floods.
“The record is currently held at 608 people but we are looking to have five lanes of fire and get over 750 people to firewalk and really smash that record out of the water.”
Professional firewalking teams Firewalking UK and FFA North are coming from Manchester and Carlisle respectively to ensure the event runs smoothly and safely. Local business Travis Perkins has already stepped forward to sponsor the event and Hot Stepping for Floods are still looking for more groups or businesses to either take part in the firewalk, as a team building exercise, or to sponsor one of the five lanes at the event. Entry is £20 which will include a presentation by one of the professional firewalkers and the chance to walk on the hot coals. Organisers are hoping that each participant will raise around £80 in sponsorship.
Collette added: “It really is all mind over matter but there’s the opportunity for people who don’t want to walk on fire or think they couldn’t do it to help. They can still come along and get involved in everything else and sponsor those who are doing it, while they stand on the side and laugh and point at them. It is going to be a day of fun, fabulous entertainment for the whole family which everyone can attend and it’s all going to a good cause.”
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