For our 2021 sponsored event, because of the uncertainties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are offering a series of dispersed local walks of between 12 and 20 miles, at 12 venues across the country. Local teams will fundraise towards our water and sanitation project at Bwanga Hill.
Bwanga Hill consists of a community of 876 people, mainly pupils and staff of the secondary school, and a small kindergarten. In common with many schools in Uganda, the present water supply is inadequate and inaccessible, and sanitation facilities are likewise poorly constructed and overloaded. The new scheme will provide new large tanks, repair of the borehole and the spring plus new latrines and health and hygiene education, and sanitation improvements for pupils and the wider community.
We need £25,000 to complete this project, which has already commenced with repair of the local community spring. To achieve this, WATSAN volunteers are coordinating a series of dispersed Walks for Water – sponsored events that will see up to 30 people per event walk between 12 and 20 miles. The full list of walks is as follows:
| Location | Date | Length | Walk leader |
| South Downs, West Pilgrim ways via Beacon Hill, Old Winchester Hill and Cheese Foot Head | 19th and 26th June | 12.5 or 25 miles | James Hunt: jameshunt1966@gmail.com |
| Quantocks Quantock Lodge or Great Wood car park to Merridge then up to Will’s Neck and back | 19th June | 11 miles | Julie Bullett: sandjbullett@gmail.com |
| Thames Path, East Putney Bridge to Teddington Lock | 19th June | 12.5 miles | Martin Fosten: martfosso@yahoo.co.uk |
| South Downs, East Amberley via Bignor Hill along the South Downs Way and Monarch’s Way | 26th June | 12 miles | Graham Piper: graham.piper@blueyonder.co.uk |
| Cotswolds TBC | 19th June | TBC | Andrew Maclean: junglemacleans@gmail.com |
| Thames Path, West Kingston Bagpuize to Farmoor Reservoir, returning via Appleton and Northmoor Lock | 19th June | 18.5 miles | Ian Bensted: bensted@easynet.co.uk |
| Charnwood Hills Bardon Hill (the highest point in Leicestershire), Beacon Hill, with panoramic views and Bradgate Park | 19th June | 17 miles | Andrew Starr: leicstarr@gmail.com |
| National Forest South of Derby, figure of eight centred on Ticknall, via Foremark Reservoir | 12th June | 16 miles | Michael Vick: f.andm.vick@gmail.com |
| Cleveland Way A circular walk from Sutton Bank Visitor Centre via Gormire Lake and Boltby to High Paradise Farm cafe, and back along the Cleveland Way. | 19th. June | 10 miles | Andrew Bailey: 58abailey@googlemail.com |
| Birmingham Canals Olton, across SE Birmingham, taking in the canals and sights of central Birmingham, Grand Union canal | 12th June | 16 miles | Ali Fergusson: alijfergusson@gmail.com |
| Winsley, Wiltshire Winsley vis Monkton Farleigh to the north and the Kennett and Avon Canal and Westwood to the south | 19th June | 20 miles | Jonny & Ivana Bensted: jmbensted@gmail.com |
| Ham Hill, Somerset A circular walk on Ham Hill, with several access points from the various villages – with picnic at the hill top or one of our many excellent pubs | 12th June | TBC | Annie Gurner: revgurner@btinternet.com |
We hope that many of our supporters will join one or other of these walks, and help to raise money through sponsorship (details below) for Bwanga Hill. Anyone wishing to join a walk local to them can contact the walk leader directly and request details of the meeting point and route.
Walk leaders are responsible for planning the route (including regular breaks), risk assessing the event, providing a first aider and communicating with walkers. You take part in the event at your own risk.
We will have a celebratory event on Zoom for all walkers on Saturday 19th June at 8pm. Your walk leader can send you the details once you sign up for your walk!
Sponsorship
You can collect funds via our sponsorsheet sheet, or by creating an online fundraising page using our online donation platform Stewardship. Our Treasurer Ali Fergusson has set out step-by-step instructions for the latter to help you!
Alternatively, you can ask your sponsors to donate directly to our dedicated Bwanga donation page.
The more sponsors you get, the closer we will be to raising our target of £25,000 for Bwanga. Use the video above to persuade your friends, family and colleagues to donate.
People in rural Uganda walk miles every day to collect water from distant, polluted water sources. Let’s stand with them and walk our paths for their water.
WATSAN Uganda 