Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire gets £4,800 boost as team take on walking challenges

• Advisers at Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire have gained £4,800 in sponsorship for the charity for their walking challenges
• A team took on the 47km walk from Wotton-under-Edge to Cirencester on 23rd June…
• … while another Adviser completed a 25km walk from Sharpness to Gloucester the following day

Advisers at a Yate charity have raised £4,800 in sponsorship after taking on formidable walking challenges, including a 47km walk.

Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire has benefited from a £4,800 funding boost after its team took on two long walks.

This sum will help support the vital services provided by the charity to the community.

A dedicated team of Advisers – Emmanuelle, Sarah, Angus, Samantha, Phyllida, and Jacky – participated in the second day of the Cotswold Way Ultra Challenge, a 47km journey.

They walked from Wotton-Under-Edge to Cirencester on June 23rd, setting off at 6.15 am and arriving in Cirencester at 7.15pm after around ten-and-a-half hours of walking time.

On the following day, Adviser Kate undertook a solo 25km walk from Sharpness to Gloucester, finishing in around six hours with one stop.

The funds raised will be instrumental in helping Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire continue to offer its vital services in the area.

‘Sense of elation and achievement’ to cross finish line after walking 47km

Volunteer Adviser Jacky Wilson, who took part in the team’s walk, said: “It was a brilliant day! We were so lucky with the weather and the event was really well-organised.

“The sense of elation and achievement at the end was worth any amount of effort on the day and over the last few months.

“But the best thing was being part of our fantastic team, both on the day and during the various training walks!”

Emmanuelle Claverie, Lead Supervisor at Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire, said: “Not all kilometres are the same! The first 25km to lunch had a couple of hills but was relatively easy.

“The last six were definitely the hardest. I didn’t really see the kilometre markers before lunch but I felt they were a lot further apart at the end.

“It was a great team to do this with – they kept you going when you felt you had had enough and it was a great feeling to cross the finish line.”

‘Nature and industry’ on Sharpness to Gloucester route

Food Bank Project Adviser Kate Eedy said: “We were able to take in both nature and industry on our 25km canal walk – and got discounted ice cream when the vendor found out how far we had walked.

“We had sore feet by the time we got to Gloucester Docks!”

There is still time to sponsor the Advisers – go here to sponsor the Cotswold Way team and here for Kate’s fundraising page.

Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire is a local, independent charity which provides free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone who needs it in South Gloucestershire.

Only a portion of its work is covered by local authority funding so every individual donation helps.

It runs face-to-face open-door sessions in Yate, Cadbury Heath, Stoke Gifford, Thornbury, Bradley Stoke, Emersons Green and Lyde Green as well as operating a free Adviceline telephone service.

Anyone in South Gloucestershire seeking free, independent, impartial and confidential advice from Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire can call 0808 278 7947.

The charity’s opening times and contact details are available at: www.southgloscab.org.uk/get-advice/visit-us/

Published 02/07/24.