ONE of the hottest days of the year so far raised more than just temperatures, as £2,768 was raised for charity thanks to the support of workers at a Salisbury company.
This comes after 24 employees at the car rental service Wessex Fleet and their families set themselves the challenge of walking the 12 miles to Stonehenge from the company’s Salisbury offices to raise money for Julia’s House.
The walkers gathered at Wessex Fleet offices in Milford Street at 11am on Sunday (May 11), the starting point of their sponsored walk to Stonehenge.
The walk was undertaken by Wessex Fleet as one of several events being held by the firm this year to raise money for the charity which supports children with life-threatening, life-limiting and terminal conditions.
Additional proceeds from a cake sale in February have taken the total raised so far to well in excess of £3,000, and more events later in 2025 are hoped to increase the total to £5,000.
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The 12-mile route led walkers past a variety of local landmarks, including the Guildhall, Old Sarum and Woodford Valley.
A spokesperson for Wessex Fleet said: “A much enjoyed pitstop at the Bridge Inn, where it appeared to be Pimm’s o’clock for some, perhaps fuelled braver antics further along the route, including a daring venture through a field that was home to a bull on the loose!
“The group finally arrived at Stonehenge at around 3pm. Some participants even managed to beat the organisers to the checkpoints, racing around the route faster than they could reach them in the car with more water supplies!”
An 11 and a 12-year-old were among the youngsters and adults who completed the almost half marathon trek to raise funds for poorly children across Wiltshire and Dorset.
Public fundraising manager of Julia’s House, Alice Chalmers, also joined the walk, which proved a great opportunity for her to get to know the vehicle leasing and fleet firm and for employees from different departments to come together too.
Alice said: “It was an absolute pleasure to walk with the lovely team from Wessex Fleet.
“It was a very sunny day, but everyone kept going, and it was all worth it when you see the incredible amount they have raised by taking on this challenge.
“At Julia’s House we are almost entirely reliant on support from our local community to raise the vital funds we need to provide care to the most seriously ill children and their families, so we are hugely grateful to Wessex Fleet for their ongoing support and fundraising.”
“We were delighted to be able to raise this money while experiencing the superb Wiltshire countryside on possibly the hottest day of the year so far. The heat made it tough at times but a whole lot more preferable than rain!” said Tim McNally, director of Wessex Fleet.
“We couldn’t think of a more worthwhile cause than Julia’s House, supporting families facing unimaginable heartbreak. Our JustGiving page is still open, so please keep on giving to this vital cause.”
The JustGiving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/wessex-fleet
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