70km in one day for 70th birthday

Good luck to Harry Potter actor and entertainer Ron Tapping, who is planning to walk 70km on his 70^th birthday to raise money for Withybush Hospital.

Ron, who lives in Milford Haven, plans to walk a circuitous route to Withbush Hospital and back on his birthday on 17^th November, starting at 2am and with an anticipated late-afternoon finish.

He has had an interesting career, starring as a Death Eater in the Harry Potter films and having walk-on rolls, including in Half Light with Demi Moore. Ron has also been a singer and musician on cruise ships.

He said he wanted to raise funds for Withybush Hospital because of the great work they do every day.

And with his daughter, Kat, working for the NHS at Peterfield Hospital in Hampshire, Ron wanted to give something back.

“I’m a fit 69-year-old and wanted to set myself a bit of a challenge,” said Ron, who is also an advanced open water diver.

“I celebrate my 70^th birthday on 17^th November so walking 70km that day will be an amazing achievement for me and definitely make it a birthday to remember!

“I am up to 60,000 steps which is around 28 miles, so hopefully I will be able to do the walk in around 12 to 14 hours.

“I have set myself the target of raising £500 for Withybush Hospital because I have such respect for them.”

Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, Nicola Llewellyn, said the charity and Withybush Hospital were very grateful to Ron for his support.

“Fundraising by people like Ron is making a real difference to the lives of local NHS patients and staff.

“We are in awe at the different ideas people come up with to raise money and with the challenges they set themselves.

“Good luck to Ron on his 70km walk and happy birthday!”

If you would like to donate to Ron’s fundraising you can do so here: http://www.justgiving.com/Ronald-Tapping