Sponsored Walk Raises £10k for Wey & Arun Canal Trust

Published on: 17 Jul, 2016
Updated on: 19 Jul, 2016

Sponsored walkers have raised around £10,000 towards the restoration of the Wey & Arun Canal.

A family group of walkers pose for a photograph as they make their way back to Loxwood during the Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s 2016 sponsored walk, the Poddle.

Their pleasant stroll in the country is boosting the work of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust, which is currently completing its first major project in Surrey.

The money was amassed by the 157 people who took part in the charity’s annual Poddle walk last month (June).

The fundraisers set off from North Hall in Loxwood to follow an 11-mile route with the new Compasses Bridge on the canal at Alfold as half-way point.

After viewing the work in progress at the bridge and lunch at the nearby Three Compasses pub, they returned to the start point via paths across Surrey and Sussex farmland.

“The proceeds are a fantastic result for our restoration fund,” said walk organiser Margaret Darvill. “With Gift Aid added, we have raised just on £10,000 from the sponsors.

“My grateful thanks go to all those who helped me with organising the Poddle, both before the day and on the day and, of course, to our magnificent collection of walkers.”

The trust has started a “final push” appeal for £120,000 to finish the Compasses Bridge project, which is its largest restoration scheme so far in Surrey. The bridge, at one of the entrances to the Dunsfold Park aerodrome and business complex, has replaced a 1930s concrete causeway.

Members of the public are invited to watch Dame Penelope Keith officially open the bridge at noon on Sunday, October 2, as part of celebrations marking the Wey & Arun Canal’s bicentenary.

Donations to the appeal can be made via the home page of www.weyandarun.co.uk; or by sending a cheque made out to the Wey & Arun Canal Trust to Compasses Appeal, WACT Northern Office, Bridge End, Somerswey, Shalford, Guildford, Surrey GU4 8EQ.

The Trust asks that eligible donors Gift Aid the money they give, which adds 25p from the Government to every £1 – declaration forms available via the website if required.