Five miles a day in October in support of the hospice

Undeterred by the weather and spurred on by the cause, Mrs Spittal averaged five miles a day for the 30 Walks In 30 Days challenge.

After raising £1,020, with more promised, she hopes to complete the challenge for a second time in April.

‘My husband and I came to Guernsey in 1972 with our three children and lived at what is now Les Bourgs,’ Mrs Spittal said.

‘When we moved the house was over 300 years old. We had 18 years there before the children grew older. Then Greville and Lisa Mitchell came to us looking for a property and that’s our special connection.’

For three years, Mrs Spittal has volunteered as a receptionist for Les Bourgs, and has circulated St John Guernsey library books to care homes since 1997.

‘I have also done stewarding at St James since around 2004.

‘I’m on the committee for Les Cotils, with Nigel Clarke as our next guest speaker.

‘You get far more out of these things than you ever put in. It’s a mutual, reciprocal thing. I am not looking for recognition, but in the greater sphere of things it is for Les Bourgs.'

Staff and volunteers were heralded as amazing.

‘Everything goes like clockwork.’

Family were notified on 30 September via email that Mrs Spittal was taking the challenge.

‘It said over the years I have sponsored grandchildren, children and friends for their challenges and I was going to do my own challenge.’

Raising more than £1,000 was a surprise, with supportive messages from donors as far away as Australia.

‘I had no expectations really. My family very generously supported me, and my daughter, Linda-May, certainly spoke about it at work. I think she may have gone onto Facebook.’

Putting in the steps was a matter of fitting it in.

‘On my walks I went everywhere, there was no set route. Sometimes I’d take the car, others from home. I was so surprised when my Fitbit told me I had averaged five miles a day – normally I do between three and four.

‘I felt I understood long distance athletes. You’re spurred on by other people. I absolutely loved doing my walks. It’s the first I hope of many and is a win-win situation since it promotes health. Much as I enjoyed doing it, it is for a purpose.’

. Online sponsorship pages for all 30 Walks participants are still open. Visit lesbourgshospice.org.gg/events/sponsor-someone/ and select the 30 Walks event to sponsor Mrs Spittal.