Quaker, 90, begins decade-long walking challenge

A lifelong Quaker has started to walk 4,000 steps a day for the 90 days following his 90th birthday, with plans to repeat the feat every year until he turns 100.

Gerald Drewett, from Hertford, is raising money to help maintain The Peace Museum in Saltaire, Bradford, which he founded in 1998.

The charity charts the history of peace movements and peacemakers and was born out of the Give Peace A Chance Trust which he ran for 40 years.

He described his challenge as "a 90s Odyssey" to bring "peace and social harmony to the forefront of the minds of people".

Drewett, who had a heart attack in 2004, said he was "slightly daunted to take on this challenge".

He added he would do it "without fail for the next 90 days and pick it up for the next nine years if God keeps me alive".

He is steadfast in protecting the Peace Museum, which says it is the only institution dedicated to the history of non-violence and social harmony.

Although he is no longer actively involved in running it, the money raised will go directly to further developing its education programmes within schools and local communities.

He said: "I am asking people to walk with me in the sense of providing funds to support the Peace Museum so it can become a national institution and not fade away."

To make sure he carries out the correct amount of steps he said he had "got a little step counter which took me most of the day to set up".

His "odyssey" began on his 90th birthday on 19 May.

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