A Lancaster businesswoman is nearing the end of a trek through 12 countries to raise funds for medical aid in the Middle East.
Ruth Herbert, 52, has been on the 'Big Trek for Palestine' to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, with an initial fundraising target of £25,000.
Ruth, who runs a tattoo artist shop in Lancaster, is now in her 12th and final country Turkey, where she will finally put her feet up.
To date she has raised more than £40,000 for the charity.
Ruth left her home in Arnside on May 2 and has been on the road for six months having travelled the length of England, crossed France, traversed the Alps into Switzerland and followed an ancient pilgrimage route via Francigena into Italy.
From there, via Slovenia she made her way through the Balkans. The route included a treacherous walk through Bosnia where she avoided close encounters with wild bears and successfully navigated fields of unexploded land mines.
In Montenegro Ruth was welcomed and hosted by the Palestinian ambassador, Mr. Alhantouli.
From Montenegro to Albania to North Macedonia and after a brief stop in Greece, Ruth has now arrived in Turkey.
She is en-route to Erdine, where she will pick up the Sultans Trail, an ancient Byzantine path,which traces one of the historic European routes into Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, her final stop.
Ruth continues to document her journey with daily posts insights and photographs on Instagram and Facebook; sharing her challenges and her triumphs, the kindness of strangers and the joy of companionship with friends and supporters who have joined her at various stages of this huge adventure.
On every photo and every reel, she reflects on the reason why she is making this trek and brings it back always to the people of Palestine.
"The idea for my Big Trek 4Palestine came about in response to a growing feeling that I needed to do more," said Ruth.
"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."
To date the Big Trek 4 Palestine has raised £42,323. Ruth has increased her target and hopes to achieve a new goal of £50,000. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/page/bigtrek4palestine
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charity which works for the health and dignity of Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees.
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