Co Antrim man (98) raising funds for charity with 1,000 steps a day challenge

John Gardiner, who will be 99 next month, set himself the challenge of walking 1,000 steps a day during the coronavirus pandemic.

The local nonagenarian normally takes his daily exercise along the promenade in the Co Antrim town.

But with ongoing restrictions curtailing his usual route, Mr Gardiner is instead going the distance within the grounds of the Marine Parade home.

Sarah Martin, Nurse Manager at Whitehead Nursing Home explained: "He always likes to keep himself very active and would have walked up and down the promenade. Because of everything that's going on, he very sensibly decided to use the patio at the back instead, and will be walking his 1,000 steps a day there until lockdown ends."

The venture has given residents and staff alike a boost during a very unsettling time, she added: "Everybody whether in this environment or not is anxious to some extent, so this has given us something positive to focus on. We love seeing the donations come in and reading all the comments."

Having originally set a target of £1,100 in aid of Action for Children, Mr Gardiner has since surpassed his goal with almost £2000 in donations.

"John is a very thoughtful man anyway and if he can help anyone, he will," Sarah added. "He wanted to do something to support the younger generation who he felt were perhaps missing out at the moment."

To donate towards John's fundraiser, visit his JustGiving page.

Action for Children supports disadvantaged children across the UK, helping them through fostering or adoption and by intervening early to stop neglect and abuse.

The charity is currently running its own Coronavirus Children's Appeal.