A woman from Clitheroe ‘Walked The Woodie’ at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in support of the challenges people from the LGBTQ+ community face.

This Pride Month, Demi Houghton, 25, Digital Fundraising Officer for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust & Me (ELHT&Me) raised money for the charity by walking along the circuit of The Big Dipper last week.

The ‘Walk in Pride’ was an idea Demi came up with last year to enable her to experience the journey that some of the Pride community have faced and still face today.

Lancashire Telegraph: Demi Houghton participated in 'Walk the Woodie' in support of the ELHT&Me and Pride monthDemi Houghton participated in 'Walk the Woodie' in support of the ELHT&Me and Pride month

She said: “Some people from the Pride community have it quite smooth, some people have it rough so you can picture their experiences as a rollercoaster.

“Walking the ups and downs of the boards of the Big Dipper allowed me to appreciate and depict the challenges people face as well as recognising the celebration at the same time.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Blackpool Pleasure Beach 'Big Dipper' rollercoaster circuitBlackpool Pleasure Beach 'Big Dipper' rollercoaster circuit

The walk round the rollercoaster’s circuit was 90 minutes in total and is a physically demanding activity including steep climbs, drops, heights and the surface can be uneven, dirty and slippery. 

Demi aims to take her fundraising even further and hopes to do the ‘Walk the Big One’ for the charity next year.

She continued: “It’s a lot bigger and taller so I’d definitely be scared of doing that one because the slightest bit of wind and you’ll feel it up there.

“We need to get more supporters on board doing it in aid of us, whether that’s for the Walk the Big Dipper or the Big One.”

Demi’s role as Digitial Fundraising Officer includes her managing the content for the website and social media aiming to raise as much awareness for the charity as possible.

She said: “ELHT&Me funds projects above and beyond NHS funding, which touch the lives of the thousands of people cared for by our hospitals and community services each year.”

The charity provides state-of-the-art medical equipment; funding life-saving research; enhancing the hospital environment, and ensuring every patient has the very best treatment and care at our family of hospitals across East Lancashire which includes Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching hospitals and community hospitals - Accrington Victoria, Clitheroe and Pendle.