Our Summertime Trek for Forever Manchester
On Friday 19th July, six volunteers from our Manchester team took part in first stage of the GM Ringway Summertime Trek Walk – raising awareness and much needed funds for Forever Manchester.
The GM Ringway spans an impressive 200 miles in total, divided into 20 stages, allowing participants to tailor their experience – be that a stroll or a true endurance test, there’s something for everyone. Plus, it’s all designed to be accessible via public transport, making it a green and sustainable way to explore the diverse landscapes within our ten boroughs.
Here our colleague Helen Buckley shares insights from the day and tells us more about OFR being a dedicated long-term supporter of this worthy cause…
Six eager OFR colleagues gathered in Manchester on Friday 19th July, ready to set off on Stage 1 of the GM Ringway Summertime Trek Walk. The weather was on our side for once and the sun was shining, motivating colleagues for the task ahead (including those already committing to further walks in the coming weeks!).
Stage 1 starts in the centre of Manchester and ends at Sale Waterpark. It was really enjoyable as this trek uses towpaths, walkways, parkland and the Trans Pennine Trail to trace an almost totally traffic-free and tranquil route from the city centre to the verdant Mersey Valley. It’s estimated the walk should take approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes at a leisurely pace and we completed it in two hours and 30 minutes. We all used our OFR Better Days allowance and enjoyed spending time together chatting and laughing in the great outdoors – whilst raising money for a charity close to our hearts.
So far, we’ve collectively raised an impressive £500 and hope to increase that over the coming days. But we still want to do more, so if you’d like to donate, please just drop me a line as all contributions are greatly received.
OFR colleagues have been supporting Forever Manchester since 2017; the charity is Greater Manchester’s Community Foundation and the only organisation that raises money to fund and support community activity across the city region. Over the years we’ve attended the charity’s annual birthday party celebrations, raised money by playing charity football matches and in October I’ll be running my first half marathon to raise even more money for Forever Manchester. If you’d like to join me, please give me a shout as we’ve plenty of training time left!
The half marathon will take place on 13th October – to register or find out more click here.
