Two Stirling businesswomen are setting off to Peru this week to fundraise for the National Autistic Society during the trip of a lifetime.
Laura McClintock and Lisa Davidson will trek Machu Picchu in the culmination of three years of fundraising efforts for a charity close to their hearts.
The best friends, who both run businesses in Friars Street, have already raised more than £12,000 through a variety of events.
These include the popular Fairytale Trail which has been bringing magic to the streets of Stirling for three years now and which was sponsored by Go Forth this year.
The Fairytale Trail, a Hallowe’en street party and raffles are among a range of activities the women have organised and which kind-hearted members of the local community have sponsored via their Just Giving page – www.JustGiving.com/LisaAndLauraFriarsSt
Now Lisa and Laura are in the final stages of training and organising for their trip to hike the gruelling Inca Trail and leave for Peru this week.
Before going, Laura, owner and tattooist at Nevermore Tattoo & Piercing Studio, said: “We’ve had the trip planned for a long time and it has been postponed a couple of times – but it’s getting very real now as the date we leave Scotland gets closer and closer.
“I’m feeling a little bit nervous but really looking forward to it and people have been kindly sponsoring us and supporting us in the lead up to our big challenge. We’ve already beaten our current £12K target for the National Autistic Society Scotland and it would be amazing to reach £15K by the time we complete the trek.”
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Laura’s 16-year-old daughter Jada is autistic and the pair have been involved in fundraising and raising awareness for the charity for some time. Jada also helps out with the Fairytale Trail each year.
When Lisa opened her magical gift shop Tinkerbells Emporium in Friars Street a few years ago, she and Laura developed a strong friendship which led to plans to trek Machu Picchu and raise more money and awareness for the society.
Laura says: “Lisa and I decided we wanted to do the Inca Trail together and to do it while raising funds for a good cause and so that’s where it all started.
“It’s a cause which is close to both of our hearts as we each have loved ones who are affected and we’ve enjoyed coming up with lots of different fundraising ideas over the past three years.”
They have so far raised just over £12,100 and the money is already being used to support young people with autism. Laura and Lisa were scheduled to fly to Lima, Peru on Thursday October 3 and then spend a few days acclimatising before taking on the Inca Trail as part of an organised group.
The Trail, in the Andes mountain range, covers 26 miles and takes five days with the altitude making the trek extremely challenging for hikers.
Laura says: “It’s 26 miles long but feels a lot more due to the altitude – apparently one mile feels like about 10 miles! We’ll be walking several miles each day – with the longest hike being eight miles which takes almost an entire day – and then camping at night. On the last day we will go up Machu Pichu in time for the sunrise and then have a celebratory dinner with the group once we’ve completed the Trail.”
The women have walked the West Highland Way and climbed Munros as part of their training programme while Lisa is also a regular runner.
Lisa said: “It’s super exciting now because all the travel details are in place and we are at the point of getting our hiking gear out and ready to pack after a three-year journey to get to this stage. It’s the trip of a lifetime and I love the fact we are doing it for such an amazing charity. It will be a real adventure into the unknown and I’m looking forward to the spiritual element of the trip and the self-development it will involve.”
Anyone who would like to support Lisa and Laura’s fundraising efforts can do so via their Just Giving page – click here.
They are also holding a raffle for two large soft toy llamas to mark their forthcoming their trip and raise extra funds – the animals are native to the Andes mountains and an important part of South American culture.
The National Autistic Society aims to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society which works for autistic people.