A night of music, poetry and film has raised funds to support a Lancaster businesswoman who is on a solo trek to help a Middle East aid charity.
The Palestine Walks event at the Olive Room, Gregson Centre in Lancaster, raised £500 for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
The event focused on raising awareness of the Big Trek 4 Palestine, an expedition embarked on by tattoo artist Ruth Herbert who is walking 4,000 miles to raise money for the British based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians.
The programme included performances by local musicians Pete Moser, who also compered the evening, and Chris Price who sang one of his many songs which reflect the situation in Palestine.
Virtuoso guitarist Lancaster based Howard Haigh, and Alison and Patrick Montague performed, and Christian Stretton from Arnside sang Bob Dylan’s Master’s of War and one of his own compositions.
The musical content was interspersed with poetry readings and a slide show documenting the Big Trek 4 Palestine, so far.
Since leaving her home in Arnside on May 2, Ruth has travelled the length of England, walked through the eastern part of France, crossed the Alps in to Switzerland following the ancient pilgrimage route the Via Francigena into Italy where she joined a Roman military route Via Postumia (constructed in 148BC) to the Slovenian border.
She is currently in her seventh country, Bosnia, where along with the challenges of finding food and accommodation there are potential and very real hazards such as an encounter with a bear, while walking through an area where unexploded land mines lay along the route.
Undaunted by such dangers, Ruth sent a video message reminding the audience of the reasons why she has undertaken this mammoth challenge.
“The idea for my Big Trek 4 Palestine came about in response to a growing feeling that I needed to do more," she said.
"I went to rallies and demonstrations, I signed petitions, I shared and posted online, I emailed my MP. But none of it felt enough. I have always believed in the power of perseverance, and this journey is my way of showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
"The work of Medical Aid for Palestinians is more important than ever, and I hope my efforts will help provide the support and resources needed to improve lives and deliver essential medical care."
Ruth has now walked for more than 100 days and is on schedule to reach 2000 miles in the first weeks of September.
You can follow Ruth’s amazing adventure on Facebook and Instagram @bigtrek4palestine
Read more: Lancaster tattoo artist reaches milestone on 4,000 mile trek for Palestine - Beyond Radio
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