Kenmare hotelier Francis to do the Camino for Cappagh

Hotelier and TV personality Francis Brennan at the launch of the ‘Camino for Cappagh’ campaign.(Photo: Angela Halpin)

CAPPAGH Hospital Foundation’s patron, Francis Brennan, got in a bit of hill walking at the launch of the ‘Camino for Cappagh’. The fundraising walk will take place from October 10th to 17th and will cover the last 115km of the spectacular Portuguese Coastal Way, ending in beautiful Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain.

Francis himself will join the group for part of the walk. ‘I have always wanted to go on the Camino; I have heard that it is an amazing and unforgettable experience,’ he said. ‘I’m really looking forward to doing my part, and for such a deserving cause. Cappagh Hospital is a wonderful place and I have seen first-hand how important funding is, and what it can provide for orthopaedic patients.’

All money raised from the ‘Camino for Cappagh’ walk will go directly towards funding the new Rehabilitation Gym at Cappagh Hospital’s Active Rehabilitation Unit (ARU). The ethos of this unit is to help patients return to an active, confident and sociable life following a trauma or an acute medical episode.

The new customised rehabilitation gym will provide a large, dedicated space for patients to complete their physiotherapy programmes, which will help them return to a more independent life. This new facility will give the patients more space to practice their walking, participate in classes and improve their balance and strength as well as enjoying the social benefits of interaction with their fellow patients and their care team.

To ensure this development Cappagh Hospital Foundation needs to raise €200,000 this year and needs the publics’ support with fundraising events like the ‘Camino for Cappagh’ walk to make it happen.

Anyone interested in participating in the walk should contact Mark on (01) 834 0325 or e-mail [email protected] for more details.