A BIG SHOUTOUT goes to our amazing fundraiser of the month – Nina Gross!
The 28th August 2024 marked 10 years since Nina’s sister, Alice’s disappearance and death. To mark this anniversary Nina walked across the country from Land’s End to John o’Groats over 3 months, carrying everything she needed on her back. Nina documented the entire walk on her Instagram page (@ninawalksalot) and has raised an incredible £10,600 so far.
This is what Nina had to say about her challenge:
The 28th August 2024 was the 10 year anniversary of my little sister Alice’s disappearance and death. Ten years feels immense – an expanse of time I don’t know how to account for. I decided I needed to do something impossibly challenging to mark this, and spent 3 months walking the length of the country (1,473 miles) from Land’s End to John o’Groats. It was an experience born out of pain, but showed me how much joy and beauty there is still to be found in the world.
Alice was fourteen, and I nineteen, when she went missing. It took thirty-four days for the police to find her body, and it was the worst five weeks of my life. During this time, Missing People supported our family and I have stayed connected to the charity since, through sponsored events the choir.
It is a very hard thing to choose to live after a loss like this, and for most of the last decade, I have not lived. I have existed begrudgingly, holding myself just shy of the brink of collapse (or not, I have collapsed a few times). Alice’s death consumed me, and for a very long time I could see nothing beyond the pain of her absence. And I didn’t really want to – the idea of ever feeling ok again felt, not only impossible, but like it would be a betrayal in some way.
In my early years of grief, I mourned what I had lost – a friend I knew would always love me, an accomplice who could always make me laugh, someone to share exasperated looks with at family gatherings, my home, my family, my purpose, my sense of self, my hope.
As I have started to live again, and I guess have matured somewhat, I now find myself mourning what Alice has lost – the joys of making new friends, of reminiscing with old friends, of growing into herself, living in new places, sharing her music, loving new people.
I was on the trail for eighty-three days, walking in some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer. I spent sleepless nights in my tent in howling winds, and awoke to silent sunrises. I was battered by bitter rain, and awed by fleeting rainbows. I walked in step with the sound of the sea as well as the schelching of bogs. I was greeted by owls, seals, deer, toads and a curious hedgehog, but also suffered a tick infestation in my tent. There were days where I was exhausted, or in pain (or just painfully bored), or sad and nostalgic, but the glow of the world cared for me.
I thought that this walk was about finding Alice in the present. I’ve realised that part of it is actually about accepting that it is ok for me to find joy in the world again. That, however trite and cliched it may sound (and I really do hate being a cliche), Alice is within all those small moments of joy, and she would want me to find her there, rather than in sadness. She would think I was ridiculous for doing this walk, and very much not envious – Alice hated bugs and dirt, her hair and make-up and clothes were always immaculate – but I think she would be secretly impressed, and openly proud.
We would like to say a massive thank you to Nina for raising this incredible amount of money for us – we are so grateful for your support!
Donate to Nina’s Fundraising PageFind out more on Nina’s Instagram PageYou can – all you need you to do is raise money for Missing People!
We are always looking to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional fundraisers.
There are so many different ways you can fundraise for us:
So, if you have a fundraising idea that will help raise vital funds for people affected by disappearance, go for it and you may be our next Fundraiser of the Month!
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