EX RIDGEWAY RAMBLE

JUNE 2&3rd 2010

The RIDGEWAY is an ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road. At 87 miles (139 km), the route follows the chalk hills between Overton Hill, near Avebury, and Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire and represents part of a route in use since Neolithic times. Specifically, the Ridgeway hugs the ridge tops of open downland west of the Goring Gap and the tree-covered Chiltern Hills east of the River Thames, thus avoiding once-difficult woods and marshes in the valleys below. It is just one of many ridgeways formerly used in western Europe.

Gaz Parker, Al Clark & Old Man John Flaxman from 5 Trg Regt RLC Radio Training Wing, will be attempting to complete the Ridgeway (all 87miles of it!) in under 36hrs. All money raised will go to the BLESMA Charity detailed below.  For those of you that know us, you will understand this is a massive challenge (especially for Gaz, he's a knacker!!) in aid of a fantastically worthwhile cause which benefits a huge number of service personnel.  

BLESMA (British Limbless Ex Service Men's Association) is the national charity for limbless serving and ex service men and women and their dependants and widows.

It is the charity that directly supports all our service men and women who lose limbs, the use of limbs or eyes or the sight of an eye in the service of our country and we are with them all whenever we are needed for the rest of their lives.  Our work starts with rehabilitation - proving that there is life after amputation. Our work is about amputee helping amputee - the fellowship of shared experience.  Our work is about life long welfare support, about campaigning for what they deserve and about being there when old injuries come back to haunt.  Our youngest Member is 19 and our oldest is 99 - Truly we are BLESMA for Life.

BLESMA needs to raise nearly Two Million Pounds a year to adequately meet all its objectives.

These range from, providing a challenging and effective rehabilitation for those who have recently suffered amputation or loss of use of limb, provide permanent residential care and respite convalescence at our BLESMA Homes in Blackpool and Crieff in Scotland,  to making grants to ease the effects of disability and hardship.  

Thank you!

Thank you to all the sponsors we have received and all the support given.