West Sussex man, 97, to walk for charity in memory of his beloved partner

Anthony Gillings, known as Ant, is to complete his ‘Walking for Peggy’ in challenge on Friday June 2. Starting at 11am, he will walk from 28 Riverside Road on Shoreham Beach to the Ardington Hotel in Worthing.

Ant said: “Recently my partner and love of my life Peggy, died of dementia. This devastating illness, and long journey over many years, was made significantly worse by going blind.”

Ant said this was a ‘double blow’ for Peggy, adding: “Both being in the dark and at the same time not knowing where you are or being able to recognise people because you are both blind and losing your memory.”

Ant – a resident of Shoreham and Worthing for more than 70 years of his life – said Bognor Regis-based charity 4Sight Vision Support ‘helped us through these dreadful five years’, by providing valuable assistance through visits, assessments and equipment.

"This helped Peggy stay in her beloved home, for as long as she could, and without their incredible support, this awful situation would have been a lot worse,” Ant said.

"A loss of vision changes peoples lives, impacting their ability to remain independent. The work that 4Sight undertakes was vital to Peggy and myself to help keep her in her home, as well as providing community events to meet people in similar situations, which helped with this lonely situation.

"I am lucky that at 97 I can still walk and I would therefore like to thank 4Sight through raising much needed funds to help others, by walking nearly five miles. At my age this will take me a few hours.

“Please support the fantastic work 4Sight undertake by sponsoring me for the walk and donate through: www.justgiving.com/Anthony-Gillings.”

Ant’s daughter Elizabeth said she is ‘beyond proud’ of her dad, adding: “My dad and Peggy knew each other for 70 years as friends and then they fell in love about 40 years ago when Peggy’s husband died.

"I know how much he misses Peggy, and at his age to be able to walk five miles and turn a very sad situation into something positive is tremendous.

“I hope people will support him to raise his target of £1,000 for this fantastic organisation, and also join him on the route. We are also grateful to Tim Loughton MP for his support and taking time to greet him when he arrives at the hotel.”

Ant, who was a director of Shoreham-based company Meridian Airmaps where he did business in Africa, mainly in Nigeria.

In the 1980s, he was kidnapped and ‘nearly lost his life’ but managed to escape and return to the UK, Elizabeth said.

"As a result he lost his home and business at 64 and had to start working again working all over again when most people retire,” Elizabeth said.

"Peggy supported both of us through this terrible period and eventually my dad got on his feet again – he still works doing gardens for people and St Mary’s Church.”

Peggy lived on Shoreham Beach all of her life and died In February – two weeks before she was due to celebrate her 97th birthday.

The manager of Pearson’s in Shoreham for ‘many years’, Peggy was thought to be Shoreham Beach’s oldest resident when she died.

Elizabeth added: “They were devoted to each other – a wonderful match – and he looked after her through five years of dementia and blindness on a daily basis and she remembered him to the last when she forgot everyone else.”

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