Stepping out

IN the depths of this dreadful winter, it's good to have something to look forward to. So it is that teams of big-hearted walkers are already preparing for this summer's Trailtrekker event in the Dales, supported by the Yorkshire Post, which aims to raise £600,000 for Oxfam. Last year's event was an outstanding success, making £400,000 for the charity.

What the event illustrated last June was not only the sheer enjoyment and sense of achievement that those taking part found in completing the 62-mile walk, but also the keenness to take on a gruelling challenge for a very good cause. We live in difficult economic times, when it would be understandable for people to put their own interests first. That they chose to spend time and considerable effort in fund-raising for others is admirable.

Let us wish Oxfam every success for this year's Trailtrekker, and good luck to all those taking part. There will be blisters and aching limbs at the end of the route, but also a sense of personal satisfaction. Best of all, there will be the knowledge that a summer's day spent in some of Yorkshire's most breathtaking countryside is benefiting others sorely in need of help.