THE World Aid Walk Committee is looking forward to another year of interactive community fundraising, having secured sponsorship from a local legal firm following a difficult sponsor-hunting season.
The committee’s initial difficulty finding a sponsor this year cast something of a shadow of uncertainty over the walk – fortunately, it was only fleeting, as Number 10 Advocates stepped up to support the annual fundraiser.
‘When we learnt the event was without sponsorship this year we were keen to support and ensure it went ahead,’ said Advocate Sarah Martin from Number 10 Advocates.
‘Not only does the World Aid Walk raise vital funds for charities tackling poverty around the world but it also brings together hundreds of islanders for what is a fantastic community event.
‘This is something close to our hearts and there will be a team of us from Number 10 Advocates taking part in this year’s walk.’
Despite the difficulty obtaining sponsorship, committee vice-chair Louise Smith said that it was not due to any lack of community interest, evidenced by last year’s record number of walkers – a total of more than 1,400.
‘Popularity has remained pretty stable,’ she said.
‘It’s quite an iconic walk really. And now it’s much more family-friendly than it used to be too, which is great. We’ve got three different walks – a long and a short one on Guernsey, and a Herm walk, which is really popular.’
The walk raises money for four charities – Christian Aid, This is Epic, the Tumaini Fund, and the Eleanor Foundation – the latter three of which are Guernsey-based organisations. Last year, it collected more than £6,600 for each of the charities.
‘100% of the money that was raised last year for the Tumaini Fund went to providing mosquito nets in Tanzania,’ said committee member Vicky Groulef.
‘It enabled them to buy 1,600 nets, which increase people’s chances of living by 50%. Most malaria deaths are children under five, so if one to three children can sleep under a net, that means thousands of children might have been protected from malaria last year.’
The walk, which used to fundraise through sponsorship forms for individual walkers, now raises money through its small entry fee, with all funds then matched by the States’ Overseas Aid & Development Commission.
All funds raised by the walk are distributed amongst the four charities.
‘This is one of the biggest fundraisers for many of our charities, so it does make a massive impact,’ said Ms Groulef.
‘We don’t want to use the money we raise to run the walk, because our purpose is to send it to the people that need it. It’s not to buy medals.’
Fortunately, continued sponsorship will mean that the walk will continue to direct all funds to charity, both those raised from the entry fees and sales of its t-shirts.
‘We want to say a big thank you to Number 10 Advocates,’ said Ms Groulef.
Mrs Smith echoed the sentiment.
‘They’ve saved us, and they’ve been really great about offering support and help,’ she said.
The walk is run by volunteers – both those who volunteer to help out on the day of the walk and those who sit on the committee, dedicating themselves to the year-long planning process. Currently, they are open to hearing from any members of the community who would be interested in volunteering for this year’s walk.
Those who wish to participate by entering for the walk itself are also able to do so now via the World Aid Walk website.
It is set to take place on Monday 4 May – the early May bank holiday.