Sign up for Walk for Wards and support your local hospital
Sign up for Walk for Wards and support your local hospital
25 May 2017
It will be Imperial Health Charity’s biggest ever fundraising walk, raising money for Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and Western Eye hospitals.
The route takes in the beautiful surroundings of Paddington and Regent’s Park, giving walkers the chance to explore the great outdoors while raising money for the hospital ward that means the most to them.
Collectively, the walkers are expected to cover more than 500 miles – the equivalent of marching from the heart of the capital all the way to the UK’s northernmost point.
With less than two months to go until the big day, we’re appealing for walkers to ‘say thank you with your feet’ and sign up for the event.
Everyone taking part can choose to raise money for a specific ward or department within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s five hospitals or towards the charity’s More Smiles Appeal, which is funding the redevelopment of the children’s intensive care unit at St Mary’s Hospital.
Ella Segaran, a dietician who works in the Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s, is taking part in the walk with a team of colleagues.
They will be striding towards the finish line to raise money for the ICU, which is currently undergoing a significant expansion with the addition of 16 extra beds.
“The work that we do is absolutely amazing and everyone is passionate about saving lives,” said Ella, who has worked at the Trust for the last eight years.
“The majority of the work we do is major trauma so we see some quite horrendous things. But it’s incredibly rewarding to see patients getting better under our care.”
Participants can sign up for either a two or five mile sponsored walk, starting and finishing at Merchant Square in Paddington.
Last year’s event raised more than £20,000 to help the charity fund dozens of projects for the Trust, including major redevelopments, clinical research and initiatives to improve the patient experience.
Laura Kell, the charity’s Head of Fundraising, said: “Walk for Wards is a fantastic opportunity for everyone who has received exceptional care and support at the Trust’s hospitals to say thank you with their feet, while enjoying the beautiful waterways of Paddington and Regent’s Park.
“Every penny raised will be put towards making sure that patients continue to experience outstanding care and treatment during their time in hospital.”
For more information about Walk for Wards and to sign up for the event, visit www.imperialcharity.org.uk/walkforwards
The entry fee is £10 for adults and £5 for NHS staff, children (5-17) and concessions. Under 5s can walk for free. There is no minimum sponsorship, simply raise as much as you can. However, the charity will match fund the first 100 people that sign up to take part in the walk, up to the value of £100.
