Hundreds of walkers took to the sunny streets of London on Sunday, 24 March, to complete our annual London Bridges Walk. Over 300 people signed up to join the fundraising walk and so far £37,000 has been raised, with sponsorship still streaming in.
Among the walkers was Sandy Rennie – the son of Iain Rennie, the first patient of Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, one of the founding charities of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. Sandy took part in the walk with his wife and two sons. Sandy said:
“It was a wonderful day. We had the chance to meet so many other people who are committed to supporting the great work of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. It was humbling to hear people’s stories and their connections with the charity, which made the walk feel even more special.
“I also had the opportunity to speak to one of the charity’s healthcare assistants who was taking part in the walk. She was so positive and motivated, we all enjoyed hearing her speak with passion about the work she does and the difference it makes.”
Walkers who signed up to the event chose between a five and ten-mile route. Both of which took in a whole host of famous landmarks and either five or 12 of London’s famous bridges. Participants completed the route in their own time, which meant they had time to stop for refreshments or to take in the views on the route.
Eileen, from Hemel Hempstead, took part in the walk with her family after her husband, David, was supported by a number of our services towards the end of his life. Eileen said:
“When I saw the London Bridges Walk advertised, we decided we would take part to raise money for the charity. We had a wonderful day! I walked with my two children, daughter-in-law and youngest grandchild. The sun shone and we explored not only the fascinating bridges but parts of London we don’t normally take time to look at. It was a really worthwhile day – remembering David, out with family and raising money for Rennie Grove Peace.”
Three hours after they left the start point in Battersea Park, the first participants started to arrive at Tower Bridge – the end point of their challenge. They were delighted to see the finish line and were awarded a finishers’ medal before posing for photos beside the famous landmark.
Emma Stewart, our Events Manager, says:
“It was fantastic to see so many people taking on our London Bridges Walk this year. It’s always a great day and we were lucky with the weather as the scenery is even more stunning on a beautiful day.
The event couldn’t have happened without the support of our wonderful sponsor, Origin Global, and we’d like to thank them, as well as every single person who took part, for raising such a fantastic amount of money to fund our vital hospice care services for local people.”
View all of the photos from the day on our Facebook page: Facebook