A cuppa, some vegan biscuits and a 6,300-mile journey
Steve, one of our listening volunteers, had the privilege of meeting David on the day his "Listening Walk" bought him to Leek and this is what he had to say.
"I was standing outside Leek Samaritans when I spotted David at the end of the street. His big smile, Samaritans T-shirt and flag gave me an immediate positive buzz as I went out to welcome him.
David Matthews was visiting Leek as part of his epic "Listening Walk", and we sat down for a cup of tea and some vegan biscuits and had a lovely chat for about an hour.
David is no stranger to long walks. His first Listening Walk, which began in 2019 and was completed in 2021, covered around 6,100 miles as he visited Samaritans branches across the UK and Ireland. Now he is doing it all again. This time the route is around 6,300 miles, partly because some new branches have joined Samaritans. Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of those new branches and will add a few extra miles to the journey. I suspect David won't mind too much!
After Leek, there are 23 branches remaining on his current route, covering another 600 miles. David started this walk from his own home, making his way to the first branch at Stornoway. Once he reaches the final branch at Greenock, he will still have a ten-day walk home.
Over our conversation, David told me about some of the experiences he has had along the way. The walk is about much more than covering the miles. It gives David the opportunity to talk to people, raise awareness of Samaritans and encourage people to think about the importance of having someone to talk to.
Those conversations sometimes go beyond a quick exchange of words. People he meets can open up about things they are struggling with, turning a chance encounter on the road into a genuine listening conversation.
Across this walk and his previous one, David has handed out around 10,000 Samaritans and Listening Walk cards. Many people offer words of encouragement and pledge to donate, but for David, the conversations and the opportunity to spread the word about Samaritans are every bit as important.
The physical challenge has certainly been real. At one point David needed to give one of his knees a rest from the impact of walking, so he cycled for a period in Wales. As someone who enjoys cycling myself, I found that particularly interesting. David told me that cycling resulted in much less interaction with people along the route, and he much preferred walking.
We also talked about fitness and cycling more generally. We talked about my own struggles to regain my fitness motivation this year, and I came away feeling genuinely inspired.
There are still some memorable stretches ahead. One David is particularly looking forward to is the West Highland Way, which will allow him to avoid some of the busy A roads. It won't necessarily be an easy option, though — the West Highland Way can be a demanding footpath in places.
David told me that he holds the record for the longest walk raising money and awareness for a single cause. Whatever the eventual mileage, it is certainly an extraordinary undertaking.
For me, though, the lasting memory of David's visit to Leek will be much simpler: seeing him coming down the street, smiling and carrying the Samaritans flag, followed by a cup of tea, some vegan biscuits and a really good chat.
Safe walking, David from everyone at Leek Samaritans"!