With less than a month to go until Mark and Nina set off from Diglis Basin on their 250-mile Kindness Amble, we want to share the real reason behind the miles. We are walking to raise money for two incredible charities, and for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, our motivation is deeply personal.

We are walking for Jasper.

A while ago, we adopted Jasper through Battersea’s brilliant “Working Cats” scheme. This program is designed to find safe, practical environments, like farms, stables, or in our case, our business premises, for cats who might not be suited to a traditional family home.

From day one, the Battersea team was phenomenal. They couldn’t have been friendlier or more dedicated to his wellbeing. They didn’t just sign some paperwork and hand him over; they drove out and delivered Jasper to us personally to make absolutely sure he was set up safely in his new environment.

The Battersea team explained that working cats often prefer their independence, that he might never seek out human affection, and that we might actually rarely even see him.

Jasper, however, had completely different plans.

He immediately excelled at his actual job, quickly earning the title of our top rat catcher, but his real impact was on the team itself. Jasper turned out to be incredibly friendly and super cuddly. He had his boundaries, and as long as you respected his space, he was always ready for affection.

Having him around completely shifted the atmosphere. He lifted spirits, gave everyone a shared focus in looking after him, and brought the whole team much closer together through our daily cuddles and routines with him.

Tragically, Jasper was only with us for a short while before he was struck by a car and passed away. Losing him was a devastating blow to the team, but the difference he made in the short time he was here was profound.

We are dedicating this walk to Jasper’s memory and to the Battersea team who gave him that second chance. The Working Cats scheme does incredible work finding the right environment for every animal, no matter their background or temperament, allowing them to live out their lives with purpose and care.

If you would like to support Mark and Nina on their 250-mile journey and help Battersea continue their vital work, please consider making a donation.

To make this walk possible, we must also give a huge shoutout to our Kindness Partners, who are offering Mark and Nina safe spaces to pitch their tent, have a break, shower and a meal.

Donate here: www.surplex.co.uk/donate