Wioletta’s a walking wonder

Housekeeper Wioletta Guzy and her beloved dog Cookie have walked their way to raising £670 for a charity very close to her heart. Wioletta and the Australian Labradoodle clocked up 100 kilometres as part of Dementia UK’s Walking Challenge.

The pair averaged two walks each day, including a mammoth 10k trek on one occasion. Wioletta chose to take on the challenge because she works as a housekeeper, at Brockington House care home in Hafod Road, Hereford. The home, recently named as one of the top luxury care homes in the UK, provides a range of care, including for people living with dementia. Wioletta says: “My mum died of cancer so I did initially think about raising money for a cancer charity but there are so many of these and dementia deserves to get just as much attention. “Plus, having worked at Brockington House for the last 12 months, I have seen how important homes like this are for people living with dementia, so in the end it was an easy decision to make.”

Wioletta set herself an initial target of £150 but smashed that thanks to the generosity of friends, family, and colleagues at Brockington House. “I had some incredible donations from staff at Brockington House and to raise so much is really overwhelming,” she says. “I was told by the management to ensure I made time for things like this when I started at the home, and this is one of the many reasons why I love the place. “I am surrounded by lovely people and only wished I had come here to work sooner!”

Home director Shann Thomas says: “Wioletta has quickly become a popular member of the team since she started working at the home and we are all very proud of what she, and Cookie, have achieved.” Wioletta says she and Cookie have been inseparable since she came to live with the family (she is married with two sons) in Hereford as a puppy almost three years ago: “She’s always at my side and doesn’t like it when my husband takes her out for walk and I am not there! She is just like a daughter to me.”