A MONMOUTHSHIRE woman with severe learning difficulties who has had to stay away from her much-loved carers during lockdown has raised more than £4,000 to support them.

Kathy Gooding, 39, who suffers from Williams Syndrome meaning she has learning difficulties as well as a very weak left-side due to a stroke she suffered when she was a child, was pulled out of her residential home run by the charity Hft in King’s Stanley, Gloucestershire, by her parents Pat and John Gooding, who felt she would be better off staying at their home in Catbrook during the pandemic.

Concerned that the home was losing out on funding, Kathy decided to raise money for Hft by completing 200 miles on a tricycle around the village.

Kathy, who is accompanied on her cycles by her parents, has already managed to complete 160 miles since she started the challenge last month, and is close to her £5,000 target.

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“The sector as a whole is in huge trouble and needs as much support as possible,” said Mr Gooding, “the charity would usually be receiving lots of donations through fundraising events such as the London Marathon, which have been cancelled.

“Kathy has been at the home since 2002 and has been looked after wonderfully by the staff there, and we felt we needed to support them now.”

Mrs Gooding said that her daughter was also doing the challenge in memory of her friend David, who passed away in April and was looked after by the charity.

“The charity is a leader in its field and the care that it gives is of an exceptionally high standard,” she added. “Kathy is very happy in her home and is currently missing all her friends and carers.

"She is in touch with them every day and the carers are, as usual, all going the extra mile to make sure that the people they look after are safe."

If you would like to donate to Kathy's efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kathy-gooding.