Following their record breaking walk last year, the walkers are once again dusting off their hiking boots, ready to rack up hundreds of miles in the name of charity!
Having racked up an unbelievable total of £13,030 in aid of CanalAbility, the Little Edi Foundation, Providence Row and the Supporters’ Club away travel fund last year, the walkers are targeting an initial target of £10,000 to be raised, in support of Thriftwood School, as well as a portion being donated to the Supporters’ Club.
Based in Galleywood, Thriftwood School opened their doors in November 1975 to cater for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and additional complex needs. Rated as outstanding by Ofsted, the school currently has 139 pupils on site.
The walkers at 2024’s finishing line in Chippenham!
With support from Fareway Taxis, who have kindly provided a bus and a driver, the walkers will depart a week before the Clarets’ visit to Weymouth, starting at Constitution Hill, just north of Aberystwyth in mid-Wales, making the 12 mile trip in land to the ominously named Devil’s Bridge on the Saturday. As the new week rolls around, the hard work will begin, with the Brecon Beacons, and in particular South Wales’ highest peak of Pen y Fan, being tackled. As the week continues, the hike east will too, with the Black Mountains being visited, before crossing the border back into England. Glastonbury, Wookey and Cheddar Gorge will all be paid a visit by our intrepid lot, as the finishing line in Dorset approaches, with a visit to the Cerne Abbas Giant in store. On Saturday 25 April, the walkers will make the final push to Weymouth, eventually ending up at the Market House Tavern, a stone’s throw away from the seafront at Weymouth Bay!
Preparations and training for the gruelling task in April have already begun, with a number of walkers making the ten mile trek from Stratford to Enfield on 4 January.
A number of fundraising activities will be confirmed and announced closer to the time, with bucket collections regularly being held at home games in the weeks before the walkers set off on their journey.
As usual, every footstep our resilient walkers take will be documented on all of our social media platforms!