On Sunday 22nd of September, 12 brave members of staff from our Radstock site yet again took on the 20-mile circuit of Bath charity walk for Julian House.
Members of the team have taken part in previous editions of the walk, though this time, with a weather warning issued beforehand for the South West of England, and heavy downpours expected, the challenge was especially demanding. This year saw the best turnout yet, with 12 walkers from CFH taking part, as well as friends and family coming along for the trek.
Beginning the course around 7:30am at St Gregory’s School in Odd Down, the team were walking the same route as last year, but in reverse. This meant that their first stop was the Canal Visitor Centre in Limpley Stoke (bright and early to grab a coffee from the café), followed by The George Inn at Bathampton. The Walking Wanderers team then progressed uphill to Kingswood Sports Pavilion in Lansdown before ticking off their final checkpoint at Newbridge Park and Ride, eventually returning to St Gregory’s for the final stretch.
Usually, the route would offer stunning views of Bath and the surrounding areas but with heavy rainfall from the beginning and fog at the highest points of the walking route, there weren’t too many scenic photo opportunities! Traversing a combination of public footpaths, field areas and muddy terrain, there were a few close calls with slips and tumbles, but thankfully the team remained in good spirits throughout. Plenty of motivation came from team leader Louise Hale, as well as a brand new 9-hour playlist from DJ Danny – which fittingly ended just as the group made their final steps to finish the challenge.
With short periods of time taken to rest up at the allocated checkpoints (and change into spare pairs of socks!), the team took just over 9 hours to complete the circuit overall – with an average of 54,000 steps recorded each.
The team managed to raise over £1000 for Julian House altogether - including funds raised by our charity bake sale - a real collective effort from all involved. The funds raised will go towards the great work Julian House are doing in the South West of England to support vulnerable and at-risk individuals. This includes adults and young people experiencing homelessness, those experiencing domestic abuse, individuals who need support upon leaving prison and adults with learning difficulties.
Congratulations to the Walking Wanderers team for tackling the circuit in particularly poor conditions, and raising such an impressive amount – if you have any particular ideas for future charity challenges, please email marketing@cfh.com
