We regret to announce that the Walk of Hope 2011 stands cancelled due to lack of walkers and sponsors.

Walk of Hope 2011

This year’s Walk of Hope is from Exeter Cathedral to Gloucester Cathdral, from August 26th to September 4th.

The aim is to walk a baton containing a message of hope to the children of India and through this to raise money and awareness to improve the lives of poor children and their communities.

Last year we walked from Land’s End  to Exeter Cathedral.

We are very grateful for all the support we received last year along the route, from people in their gardens, in pubs, the street and the Cathedrals.  We are especially grateful to our walkers and sponsors, without which the event could not have taken place.  The walkers were (in order of walking): Mary Care, Ruth Bealing, Susan Edward-Collins, Joan Woodman, Annie Hamblin, Neal Harkness, Anita Edgar, Glenny Latham, Phil Lunt, Beth McDowell, Kelpie (the dog) Chris Forster, Charles & Jenny Cottrell, Roy & Carole Smeeth, Mark & Sharon Gilborson, Alison Howell, Gary Lord, Bill Noronha and Dave Westcott. Altogether, over £3000 was raised!

Would you like to join us this year?

The Method: By relay, from Exeter to Gloucester, using minor roads and footpaths.

Having ‘risk assessed’ it, for most of the journey there will be two walkers and two supporters in a car as the roads are too narrow to safely take a large number of people.  When footpaths are used and for the last mile to the Cathedral many more people can participate.

The Volunteers: we are looking for adults who can take the baton over one or more stages of the relay and for people to provide a support car. There could be a team of four who will take turns to drive or walk on a particular day.

The Cost: El Shaddai does not wish to spend money on the event apart from on the organisation and insurance. Anyone who participates, therefore, will do so at their own expense. However, if walkers have left a car at their starting place, of course we will drive them back there and if anyone is using their car as the support car, we will pay their petrol expenses.

The Equipment: Walkers will need to ensure that they have adequate walking boots and a waterproof. We will provide a map of their route. Both walkers and car drivers will need mobile phones so that they can contact each other in emergency. The car will have a basic First Aid kit and the driver will be briefed on the location of the nearest A&E. Bright tabards will be given to the walkers & drivers each day (but they will not be available to ALL the walkers for the last mile to the Cathedral and if more walkers walk the footpaths).

If you are walking mainly footpaths, then you will need to be a confident map-reader, as a car cannot come and find you in the middle of a footpath section!

Sponsorship: Individuals can ask people to sponsor them for the distance which they will walk and there will be a ’Just Giving’ site where the baton can be sponsored.

How to apply: Please consult the sheets below, decide which day you could do and how far you can walk and then send us a completed application form. We anticipate that the week-end slots will be easier to fill, so if you are available during the week, that would be great.

Gloucester Cathedral: We hope that we will be joined by supporters for the one mile walk into the Cathedrals and that people will join in the  Evensong (at 3p.m..

For further information, contact
Ruth or Mary
at the UK Office
 

Always on the lookout to raise money for our charity, a popular fundraising activity was used and the Walk of Hope was born.  On 27th August on a grey day, four walkers set out from Land’s End to walk the 135 miles to Exeter Cathedral. The aim was to walk a baton containing a message of hope to the children of India and through this to raise money and awareness to improve the lives of poor children and their communities.  The route covered was on minor roads and distances each day averaged around 14 miles.  We had almost perfect weather for the ten days!
Highlights included stopping at Truro Cathedral, where we received a very warm welcome from Canon Perran Gay, who also walked the last mile into Truro with us.  We attended Evensong and mention was made of the Walk during the service.  Another warm welcome for the walkers was received at the end of the Walk at Exeter Cathedral, where we were met by Dean Jonathan Meyrick, who also included us in Evensong and blessed the baton containing the message, as it journeys on to India.
We are very grateful for all the support we received along the route, from people in their gardens, in pubs, the street and the Cathedrals.  We are especially grateful to our walkers and sponsors, without which the event could not have taken place.  The walkers were (in order of walking): Mary Care, Ruth Bealing, Susan Edward-Collins, Joan Woodman, Annie Hamblin, Neal Harkness, Anita Edgar, Glenny Latham, Phil Lunt, Beth McDowell, Kelpie (the dog) Chris Forster, Charles & Jenny Cottrell, Roy & Carole Smeeth, Mark & Sharon Gilborson, Alison Howell, Gary Lord, Bill Noronha and Dave Westcott.