No walk in the park as hikers prepare for their charity walk

Teams of walkers, families and individuals are preparing to take part in a 35km trek across the South Downs to help raise funds for charity.
JPCT 030913 S13361323x Horsham , West Sussex County Times reporters stepping out for charity walk -photo by Steve CobbJPCT 030913 S13361323x Horsham , West Sussex County Times reporters stepping out for charity walk -photo by Steve Cobb
JPCT 030913 S13361323x Horsham , West Sussex County Times reporters stepping out for charity walk -photo by Steve Cobb

The A2B Walk, which will start at Arundel Castle and finish at the Devils Dyke in Brighton, will take place on Saturday, September 14, in support of the Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy (DVLT).

Six County Times reporters, Harley Tamplin, Simon Robb, Jasmin Martin, Berny Torre, Ollie McAteer and Tim Harris, will also be swapping their notebooks for a pair of hiking boots to take part in the fundraiser.

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“There’s a bit of a buzz going around the office at the moment ahead of the event,” explained Jasmin.

Neil Moore, Keith Mitten, Michelle Betts and Philip Reynolds from Guy LeonardNeil Moore, Keith Mitten, Michelle Betts and Philip Reynolds from Guy Leonard
Neil Moore, Keith Mitten, Michelle Betts and Philip Reynolds from Guy Leonard

“I personally haven’t done something like this before but being in close contact with the DVLT, I’ve been able to write about the good that they do making all the possible the aches, pains and blisters completely worth it.”

It is being organised by Billingshurst marketing agency PMW Communications, who are also taking part with twelve of their team signed up.

Michelle Betts from Guy Leonard, which also has a group prepared for the event, said: “We are doing the walk as the DVLT is our chosen charity; the opportunity to get together as a team to raise money for our favourite local charity is a no brainer.

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“Plus as a team we love a challenge and thought 26 miles would be just that!”

Those taking part in the race have been preparing for months, with dedicated training hikes and stamina building sessions to increase the walkers’ endurance levels.

At 7am, the walk will kick start at Arundel Castle with Paralympic athlete Sophia Warner cutting the starting ribbon.

Those taking part have the option of either hiking the full 35km route or a shorter and less brutal 12km.

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Supporting over 80 families with babies and children, the DVLT offers all of its services completely free of charge making funds raised by events such as the A2B walk so 
vital.

With the walk set to raise over £10,000 to help keep the children connected to the DVLT well supported, the event hopes to show how the local community work together to support each other.

As a number of walkers closely affected by the charity’s cause, the effort being put into making the race as successful as possible has been more than impressive.

Those looking to donate to the DVLT or walkers can find out more at www.dvltrust.org.uk

To donate to the County Times team, who will tweet their progress throughout the walk at @wscountytimes, visit http://www.justgiving.com/WSCountyTimes-A2B