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Sun shines as walkers raise huge sum for charity

16/ 5/2008

OVER 1,000 people, young and old, put on their walking shoes to raise over £70,000 for local charities last weekend.

Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary Club held its third annual 10-mile walk along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal towpath from the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, to Thompson Park in Burnley.

Hyndburn’s new Mayor, Councillor Pam Barton, and Mayoress Sue Johnson sent the walkers on their way.

Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondalgh, who plays Hayley Cropper in the hit soap, led the walk on a glorious hot and sunny day.

Charities including the NSPCC, Hyndburn Scouts, Crossroads and the Anaphy-laxis Campaign, in memory of tragic Francesca Sanna, all had teams taking part,

And 30 people walked on behalf of our own Aspire appeal to save the Accrington Pals Memorial Chapel in St John’s Church.

Walk co-ordinator Fred Pickering said: "We expect to raise in excess of £70,000 which is terrific.

"We are still going through all the sponsorship forms and will have final totals later this summer. We are thrilled with how this year’s walk went.

"The weather was perfect until the very end. At 3.50pm the rain started but the walk ended by 4pm so we were very lucky. Everything went very well."

Former Rotary president Michael Jackson said: "It was a beautiful day, if anything a bit too hot for some walkers, but the day can only be described as a total success.

"Without doubt the success of this venture is very much down to the publicity given in the Observer.’’