Hundreds step up for homeless
The Circuit of Bath sponsored walk for Julian House took place on April 25 with a record number of people taking part.
Nearly 600 people walked around Bath over the weekend to raise money and awareness for local homelessness charity Julian House.
The sponsored circular walk, which celebrated its 20th year, saw families, friends and colleagues taking in some of Bath’s most beautiful countryside and surrounding villages, with most choosing to complete the full 20-mile route.
Senior community and events fundraiser Jessica Gay said: “After the success of last September, we decided to host the walk twice this year to enable people to take on the challenge and enjoy the route.
“I was really pleased to see many of our incredible supporters stepping out to help the vulnerable men and women in our care.
“This year continues to throw up
many challenges for those in our services; feelings of extreme isolation and mental health issues just to name a few.
“This year we put in many essential Covid measures to keep our walkers, volunteers and staff safe during the event and we are pleased the event ran very smoothly and participants really enjoyed the day.
“We had brilliant support from
families, and friends in their support bubbles, as well as those from local businesses including Metro Bank, Patrick James Property, Actual Experience, Vertex Investment and colleagues from ORX Association, who raised over £1,000.”
Ashley Green, marketing and communications assistant manager at ORX, said: “We would absolutely recommend taking part in the Circuit of Bath challenge to
anyone who is considering doing so. It was a tough 20 miles, but the sun was shining, and the sights were beautiful. We were amazed at the level of generous support from ORX, family, and friends, who all clearly see value in the work Julian House does for the community.
“Some of us have supported Julian House before – they are a brilliant local charity whose work to support vulnerable people across the South West is needed now more than ever.”
Jessica said: “Thanks to everyone who took part, we’re on target to raise over £50,000. This is a record figure for our Circuit of Bath Walk event and will make a huge difference in helping keep our life-saving services running. The money raised will all go towards supporting men and women who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness at this incredibly scary time.
“Our services are designed to not only address the symptoms of homelessness but also the underlying reasons why men and women are forced onto the streets.”
She added: “Our thanks also goes to everyone who made the event possible including the 60-plus volunteers on the day, St Gregory’s School, Kingswood School, Bathscape Walking Festival and the wonderful volunteers at Wooley who hosted their own cake and tea stall.”
To find out more about the Circuit of Bath walk and to sign up to take on the challenge in September, visit www.circuitofbathwalk.co.uk