Boundary walkers raise £15k
Maidenhead: Hundreds of fundraisers follow route around the town as event marks 40th anniversary
Almost £15,000 was raised for 39 different charities by walkers taking part in the 40th Rotary Club Boundary Walk on Sunday.
More than 350 participants stepped out in aid of their favourite causes for the annual sponsored walk. While most completed the traditional 13-mile circular route around the town, others followed a new 5km family route introduced this year to ensure the event was accessible to walkers of all ages and abilities.
The highest single amount of sponsorship was £2,500, raised by a 55-strong team led by Rotarian Gurdip Bahra in aid of the Makindhu Dental Project, which provides vital dentistry to a rural community in Kenya.
The event is based on the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’, a walk around the boundary of the old Maidenhead
borough which dates back to the town being given its charter in 1582.
It is organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Maidenhead and Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge which deployed nearly 60 volunteers to man checkpoints and marshal road crossings along the route.
This year saw the Boundary Walk return to business as usual after being held in a special ‘bubble’ format last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Event chairman Jim Howles said: “Despite the number of walkers being down, which we think is due to people still being cautious after lockdown, the amount raised for good causes was absolutely fantastic and up there with some of our busiest years.”
Fellow organiser Lisa Hunter added: “It was really wonderful to be back for our 40th anniversary and to see the happy, smiling faces of those taking part.”
Maidenhead MP Theresa May once again joined walkers for the start of the walk, along with Royal Borough Mayor, Cllr John Story, and Rotary district governor Karen Eveleigh.
Mrs May said: “It’s great to see the Boundary Walk back to normal. It is such an important feature of the Maidenhead year. It’s lovely to see so many people coming along and participating.
“It’s really important that people are out today raising money for charities as they have found it really difficult during the pandemic as most of their fundraising events have not been able to take place.”