The 30th annual Nidderdale Walk will return in May, with organisers hoping that fundraising efforts will see them hit the £1m mark.
Hopes are high that 2024 could be a landmark year for the event as it approaches the milestone figure of funds raised since the very first walk took place back in 1994.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Harrogate, the popular walk raised £24,000 last year, taking its overall tally of funds provided for local and national charities to over £970,000.
This year sees Harrogate’s leading Estate Agent Verity Frearson sign up as lead sponsor, covering the Rotary’s costs and helping to promote the event which will take place on Sunday, 19 May 2024.
Brian Stuttard, chairman of the walk committee thanked Verity Frearson for its support and called upon the people of the Harrogate District to get their walking boots on and help them to break through the £1m barrier:
The sole purpose of this Rotary event is to provide fundraisers with well organised, waymarked walks with checkpoints along the way to enable them to raise money for their own charities,” he said. “We do the preparation…. you raise sponsorship by walking or running.
We would like to say a big thank you to all those who took part in 2023 and helped raise £24,000 for several charities. Supporters have now raised over £970,000 over the 29 years that we have been organising the walk and it would be wonderful if we could get to the £1m mark this year.
A huge thank you to the team at Verity Frearson for joining us this year and helping with the costs and promotion of the event, we are delighted to have them on board for what promises to be a special weekend.
Verity Frearson Director, Matthew Stamford, added:
This is one the most eagerly-anticipated charity events on the Harrogate social calendar and we are delighted to be supporting it in its 30th year.
So much has been raised over the last 29 years for so many good causes and it would be the icing on the cake if we were able to help the Rotary Club of Harrogate reach their £1m milestone.
It promises to be a great day and we cannot wait to get involved.
Starting out in Pateley Bridge and stretching into upper Nidderdale, there are six available walking routes ranging from the sedate four-mile jaunt up to the more challenging 26-mile hike. A new 18-mile route has been added for this year.
Due to the Verity Frearson sponsorship, this year’s entry fees will be paid out to local charities currently supported by the Rotary Club of Harrogate.
