NSW Regional Woman of the Year Barbara Cowley and Cessnock Mayor Bob Pynsent are among those who will pop their walking shoes on in the name of young women this Sunday, when the second annual ShineWalk180 gets underway.
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Mrs. Cowley helps young women in the Hunter Valley develop their own personal worth, strength and purpose through a group mentoring and personal development program called Shine.
The program is run at Cessnock High School and St. Philip's Christian College.
Mrs. Cowley became a volunteer with the program in 2013 and, realising its far reaching potential, a dedicated fundraiser shortly after.
She created the annual walking fundraising event ShineWalk180, which will start at 10am Sunday in the Cessnock TAFE grounds.
Cr. Pynsent will walk the first leg with Mrs. Cowley, from the TAFE to Oakvale Winery, Pokolbin (16.4 kilometres).
“I’m a keen walker and I’m tackling this event to assist in building a stronger community particularly for our young women,” Cr. Pynsent said.
Mrs. Cowley will walk the entire 180 kilometres over nine days visiting different locations including Branxton, Maitland, Hexham, Belmont and Kurri.
“The chosen distance represents the 180-degree turnaround that is evident in the lives of women and girls who attend the program,” Mrs. Cowley said.
“By the end of the program they are in a better position to make decisions and break out of any negative cycles.”
A mother-of-three from Quorrobolong, Mrs. Cowley won the NSW Government’s Regional Woman of the Year award in 2015 for her work with young women.
Last year her walk from Cessnock to Baulkham Hills in Sydney, raised $27,000 for the Shine program.
For more information on this year’s walk, visit www.shinewalk180.org.
