International Voluntary Service
Volunteering for Peace and Social Justice

IVS 80th Birthday Peace Walk

Dovedale, Derbyshire, Saturday 2nd July 2011

The walk was planned by Peter & Shirley Thomas as part of the 80th Birthday Celebrations. Current Members & past members of IVS were circulated in the Derbyshire area and the event was advertised on the IVS website. Although there were four options offered on Ruth’s advice we went for the 9.5 mile walk. We put cars down at Ilam to ferry drivers back. In the event only one person did not walk as she was engaged elsewhere and came to join friends at the end.

24 persons attended the 9.5 mile walk in beautiful weather. 15 walked the full distance and 9 persons (including 3 children – 11 yrs, 8yrs & 4yrs) walked the section from MIlldale. 25 persons therefore attended the whole event of whom 24 walked. Ruth Thomas led the walk as she works for the Ramblers and is a trained walk leader, which she does as part of her job. She has been an IVS member in the past.

What a wonderful mix of ages and many stories of IVS were told en route! All mixed in well and helped each other. The whole event went very well.

Several people who came had no knowledge of IVS but had opportunity to learn along the way. Madoc & John Sheil were particularly interested. John offered to visit the Tara Project, Derby as he lives in Derby. This needs to be followed up.

IVS publicity Postcards were handed out to passers by along the walk.

The walk started from Hartington Village Square at 1015 approx. We arrived at Milldale around 1230 where we joined the 9 persons doing the shorter walk and had our packed lunches. We then continued at 1315 approx arriving at Ilam at 1515.approx. Some enthusiasts climbed the steep Thorpe Cloud Hill whilst 5 drivers went in a car (left earlier at Ilam) back to Hartington to return to Ilam to collect their passengers. A number of people then left whilst a reasonable sized group stayed for drinks at the Izaak Walton Hotel at Ilam. The party broke up around 1845 hrs.

A number of people commented on the excellent occasion and how enjoyable it had been. There was a suggestion made later that it become an annual event.

Those attending were:

• Bill Ashcroft, Edinbro’ IVS Office Vol.
• Lily Yuan, IVS Office Incoming Placements Officer
• Sabrina Zaeng (Lily’s Chinese friend)
• Shirley Thomas, former Chairof IVS, Retford, Notts
• Peter Thomas, IVS Company Secretary, Retford, Notts
• Ruth Thomas, Sheffield
• Madoc Threipland, Member from London
• Lise Le Joncour, (friend of Madoc) London
• Ben Grol (friend of Madoc), London
• Bee Walsh, Derby
• Rachel Forisha, Derby
• John Sheil, Derby
• Almut Gordon, Derby
• Ian Taylor, Derby
• Jim Kirkham, Derby
• Brenda Eastwood, ex employee of IVS at Regent Rd, Leicester in 1980’s, still in Leicester
• Phred Brown, long standing member of IVS
• John Telford, ex employee of IVS at Regent Rd, Leicester – still in Leicester
• Linda & her 3 foster children Mackenzie (4), Stephanie (8), & Brittany (11), Derby
• Jean, Derby, former Derby IVS member
• Gill Martin, IVS Member, Nottingham
• Non Walker Rosemary Gilchrist (nee Coghlan), ex employee of IVS at Regent Road, Leicester – still in Leicester.

Peter & Shirley Thomas 5th July 2011