Matt’s 100 mile walk for Beat

Me and the cause

I’m Matt Stead, I run the Uke Room ukulele shop and music school. I also suffer from an eating disorder which hospitalised me and nearly killed me when I was younger. I’ve never really talked openly about it and I think the stigma is a huge part of the problem with understanding and treating the illness. I hope to raise awareness and openness about eating disorders and support Beat in their brilliant work supporting sufferers and their families.

The walk

Every year at the Uke Room we hold a special ukulele retreat where uke players and teachers gather from far and wide. This year we had to cancel because of the pandemic. In its place I wanted to do something constructive so, from 18th - 25th June, I will be walking the whole 100 miles of the Gloucestershire Way - a testing walk that covers most of the County (starting in Chepstow, through the Forest of Dean, around Gloucester and Cheltenham, across and back through the Cotswolds and ending in Tewkesbury.) I will be entirely on foot for the whole duration with overnights along the way. I’ll take my ukulele with me so we can have some virtual play alongs and you can join in around the world. I hope to broadcast live video every day too so you can see how I’m getting along and we can talk about some of the issues I’ve raised.

The walk connects where I grew up (Tewkesbury) to where I have now come back to live and call my home (The Forest of Dean) - but more than that it represents the healing power of nature and outdoor spaces, which have always been there for me when I need them most.

More information about the charity

Beat is the UK's eating disorder charity. Our purpose is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. We do this by working directly with sufferers and their families, and by using that experience to highlight the challenges they face and campaign for change. Our vision is a society where people with eating disorders experience care and understanding, and where they can quickly access treatment that supports a rapid and sustained recovery.

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/