CHARITABLE walkers are being urged to put their best feet forward to raise money for the Salisbury Hospital Stars Appeal.

The charity is welcoming entries for the 20th annual Walk for Wards event, which sees thousands of people take to routes around the Wilton House Estate.

Free to enter, the event is set to take place on Sunday, July 6, including a free lunch, admission to Wilton House gardens and the adventure playground.

Participants can choose from one of four routes, including the family-friendly 3k or 5k walk, or the more challenging 10k.

And new for this year’s event is a 15k route, which takes walkers deeper into the woods of Hare Warren to beautiful viewpoints overlooking Salisbury.

Another new addition for 2025 is live entertainment throughout the afternoon.

READ MORE: Thousands step up for 2024 Stars Appeal Walk for Wards

The first Walk for Wards took place in 2006 and was a six-mile ramble through the Chalke Valley, which started and finished at the Fox and Goose Pub in Coombe Bissett.

The following year, the event moved to Wilton House, the home of Stars Appeal President the Earl of Pembroke, where it has taken place ever since except in 2020 and 2021, when the walk was held virtually due to Covid-19.

Lord Pembroke said: “It’s a real privilege to have been able to host Walk for Wards since 2007 and to see the community coming together in their thousands to support our local hospital.

“I encourage as many people as possible to join us on Sunday, July 6, to celebrate the 20th Walk for Wards and enjoy a fantastic day out for the whole family.”

To date, Walk for Wards has raised more than £1.5million, which has helped fund projects across Salisbury Hospital including the Hospital’s first dedicated Breast Unit, a new Children’s Unit, Cardiac Suite and family accommodation on the Neonatal Unit, as well as state-of-the-art equipment such as additional MRI and CT scanners.

Walk for Wards is held by kind permission of Stars Appeal President Lord Pembroke and Lady Pembroke, sponsored by Salisbury Reds, with support from Wilton and Salisbury Rotary Clubs who marshal the event, and many other local people and organisations.

Dave Cates, of the Stars Appeal, added: “When we started the Walk for Wards in 2006, we could only have dreamt, that nearly two decades later, we would have had many thousands of people take part raising over £1.5million to date.

“Walk for Wards is a massively important event, not just in terms of the vital funds it raises to enhance our Hospital, but the opportunity it provides for people to come together, to celebrate and remember a loved one, and to pay tribute to the Hospital and its staff for the outstanding care they provide to us all.

“The success of the walk is entirely down to the incredible support the Stars Appeal receives from the local community and I extend my sincere thanks to every individual and organisation that supports the event, takes part or sponsors someone to do so.

“They have and continue to make a life-changing difference to local people in hospital, their families and the NHS staff who care for them. So please help us do more and join us on July 6th for this milestone Walk for Wards, it will be a day to remember.”

Walkers are asked to sign up in advance and commit to raising at least £20/£50 sponsorship per person (route dependent) for their chosen ward or department at Salisbury Hospital.

For more information, and to sign up, visit www.starsappeal.org/event/walk-for-wards, or call 01722 429005.