Consett centenarian completed 1.3 mile walk for charity

George Stafford defied his family’s expectations as he completed the 1.3 mile route in Consett in just one hour and 40 minutes when they thought it’d take double that.

Setting off from the Travellers Rest in Consett at 10.30am today (Wednesday, June 3), George reached Greenways Court care home at about 12.10pm raising more than £5,000 for St Cuthbert’s Hospice.

George Stafford, 100, from Consett has raised around £5,000 in total for St Cuthbert’s Hospice (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

You can still support the fundraiser here.

George halfway through his walk (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

George decided to mark his 100th birthday not with a party, but by raising money for the hospice which cared for his son’s wife Judith, who died there in 2022, aged 66, from oesophageal cancer.

George said: “It probably means as much to my son Gary as it does me because they made her last weeks that much more bearable and hopefully this money will make a big difference to a lot of families.”

After crossing the finish line, he said, “It means everything”, but joked he “could’ve done it in ten minutes back in the day”.

While he said he had no immediate plans for another major fundraising feat, he added that “you never know”.

100 year old George Stafford at the start of his charity walk from The Travellers Rest in Consett to Greenways Court Care Home also in the Delves Lane area of Consett. Children from Delves Lane Primary School see him on his way (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

His son Gary Stafford, 67, said: “I am just so proud of him, he’s done so well.”

Children of Delves Lane Primary School waved him off on the walk with banners and birthday cards (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

George said it had “brought some tears” seeing familiar faces cheering him on along the route, as well as all children from Delves Lane Primary School, where he once taught, who created banners and birthday cards to support him at the start of the walk and again as he passed the school.

George said: “They all had the banners up in the air and sang happy birthday as we went past, it was lovely and gave me a tear. Some cars were even tooting and made me feel like royalty.”

100 year old George Stafford halfway through his charity walk from the Travellers Rest in Consett to Greenways Court Care Home passing Delves Lane Primary School (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Residents and staff at his care home gave him a big welcome home as he finished the challenge.

One taxi driver even stopped to hand over change for the collection as he passed.

George on his walk linked with his son Gary and the home’s activity coordinator Tracy (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

After completing the challenge, he said he was looking forward to a lie down.

“It was tough but all completely worth it”, he said.

The challenge was inspired by a desire to give something back to St Cuthbert’s Hospice and help other families facing similar experiences.

George had previously explained his motivation, saying: “I didn’t really plan it, I just woke up one morning and thought that it was something I wanted to do. If it’s good enough for Captain Tom, it’s good enough for me!”

George Stafford, 100, from Consett has raised around £5,000 in total for St Cuthbert’s Hospice (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

His son, Gary, said the family was overwhelmed by the public response.

He said: “My wife spent her last three weeks there and the staff were brilliant. She had also been in for respite care before that, and she was desperate to get back when we knew she was close to the end.

“I still go down a couple of times a year with flowers and chocolates because of what they did for our family meant so much.

“This is my dad’s way of helping other people and giving something back to St Cuthbert’s Hospice after they did so much for us.”

Children of Delves Lane Primary School waved him off on the walk with banners and birthday cards (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

George added: “I’m doing it now, because I’m 100 and if it wasn’t a good effort, it wouldn’t be worth doing.

“I’m doing it in memory of my wife, who died with cancer, and my daughter-in-law.

“St Cuthbert’s Hospice looked after my daughter-in-law and made her last days more pleasant than they would have been if she’d been in hospital or at home.”

George Stafford, 100, from Consett has raised around £5,000 in total for St Cuthbert’s Hospice (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Despite reaching his 100th birthday, George has never regarded his age as a personal achievement.

Asked the secret to a long life, he joked: “I keep away from women.”

Gary admitted he was initially surprised when his dad announced the challenge.

George got a standing ovation and big cheers as he arrived back to Greenways Court care home after his walk (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

He said: “I thought he was stupid when he first said he was doing it.

Born in Ebworth, George later moved to Consett after marrying and spent 50 years living in the town before settling in Shotley Bridge.

George in the middle, getting kissed on the cheek by two of his former pupils (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

He lived with his wife Sheila Mary until her death in 2003 and moved into Greenways Court care home in Consett two years ago.

Before becoming a teacher, George worked in a variety of industries across the North East, including the Thomas Hedley soap factory in Newcastle, the Coal Board and the Consett Steel Company.

Although he left school at the age of 14 and spent years working in industry, he never gave up on his ambition to teach.

100 year old George Stafford at the end of his charity walk from the Travellers Rest in Consett to Greenways Court Care Home (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

George, linked with his son Gary, on the walk passing Delves Lane Primary School (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

In his 40s he retrained at Sunderland Polytechnic, opening the door to a second career in education.

He went on to teach at schools across Consett, including Consett Secondary School and Moorside Comprehensive, inspiring generations of local pupils.

Outside the classroom, he enjoyed gardening and continued playing golf well into his 80s.