A charity which works at the heart of Bollington have raised almost one-and-a-half grand over a wet weekend walk.

The Bridgend Centre were backed by 53 supporters, as over 13 volunteers and workers for the charity walked the Bollington Nostalga Hill Race route on Sunday July 4. Bollington's Mayor Jo Maitland was among those who took part.

The fundraising walk spanned a 7.11 mile trek and peak moorland altitude of 1200 feet. It also passes the Bollington canal towpath.

The Palmerston Street community based charity has so far raised 110% of their fundraising goal, with a total of £1,380 raised for crucial running costs for the registered charity.

Every year the Centre runs a 'Hill Race' to raise funds for our charity and this year the event is virtual in small groups due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

Some of their staff and volunteers are not hardened runners but also wanted to contribute, so they came up with the idea of walking the route instead.

The money raised will pay for heating, lighting and keeping the building safe and is very much needed following the challenging 18 months the Centre has had.

Rebecca Lea, Centre Manager at the Bridgend Centre said: "I think its fair to say it was a walk of two halves, each with their own unique challenges.

"The first half of the walk involves the majority of the uphill work and as we set out, the weather was humid but dry.

"After the hardest part of the climb, we were met by Anna B and Maxine in the support car for a refreshment stop.

"After a much needed refuel, we began our last bit of ascent to our marker on Bakestonedale Moor, at which point, our challenge became the weather! To say that we all got a little bit wet is somewhat of an understatement.

"Thankfully it wasn't cold so it didn't dampen our spirits too much, though it made Avril's Mermaid costume seem very apt.

"The Hill Race route is actually one of our Nostalgia trails (route number 5 'Digging through the past'), which is available on our website or in leaflet form in the centre should you wish to have a go yourself or just see exactly where we got to."

The Centre, which was set up in 1990, has been a lifeline in these times of crisis to those who need someone to talk to.

They are located at 104 Palmerston St, Bollington, Macclesfield SK10 5PW.

The Bridgend particularly supports locals with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and the elderly.

They have over 1,100 followers on Facebook.

Click to donate to their JustGiving page now

Rebecca was proud of her associates following the charity walk.

"We battled on through intermittent showers and splashing through rivers of rainwater that thoroughly invaded even the toughest of walking boots and waterproofs, with much laughter and chat in typical Bridgend style," she added.

"From the canal section onwards, the weather decided to be a little kinder to us and as we entered the home straight, the sun even shone a to dry us out a little.

"We would like to give a big thank you to everyone involved and to all those who have donated so far. At time of going to press, we have raised £1380 and we are so grateful to everyone for their support.

"If you would like to sponsor us you can do so on our website or through our JustGiving page.

"Alternatively if you want to get involved in the virtual race, you have until July 11."

See their website for the Bridgend Centre for more details and to enter. There are lots of fabulous prizes up for grabs so don't delay, sign up today.

The Bollington JustGiving page can be found here.

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