Teams of four are wanted to take on the gruelling Trailwalker challenge this autumn in aid of The Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT) and Oxfam GB.
Civilian and military teams will take on the arduous 100km trek across the South Downs on 25 to 27 September to raise money for two charities.
Trailwalker is an annual event run with the Queen’s Gurkha Signals in aid of both the GWT and Oxfam. It raises money to fight poverty and to provide vital aid to Gurkha veterans, their families and communities in Nepal.
Starting at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, teams attempt the trek across the South Downs to reach their destination, Brighton Racecourse – in under 30 hours. The exercise tests strength, teamwork and both physical and mental capacity, making Trailwalker an ideal team building activity.
The event has a long history, beginning in Hong Kong in 1981 as a military training exercise. The route was intended to test both endurance and teamwork of soldiers of the Queen’s Gurkha Signals.
Since then, the general public have been invited to participate, with teams regularly raising thousands of pounds. The record currently stands at 9 hours 50 minutes, set by the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment in 2004 but the challenge is to complete within 30.
Adam Bentham, Head of Fundraising and Communications at The Gurkha Welfare Trust says the event is open to adult teams of all kinds but may be of particular benefit to corporate teams.
Adam said: “Trailwalker is not something you can just jump out of bed one day and do. It requires a significant amount of training and preparation, but that is also part of the attraction.
“We often hear teams have started out as strangers, but by training and working together in the build up to and the actual event they have learnt about each other’s strengths, cheered each other on and become friends for life.
“Being part of a team in an event like this can make a very positive impact and the cooperation needed can be a real asset in a business environment.”
Other members of the organisation can also get involved in Trailwalker by operating as a support team over the challenge weekend or by helping their fellow colleagues meet their training and fundraising goals.
The funds raised by Trailwalker are vital for delivering projects that save lives. Oxfam’s projects and campaigns tackle poverty in more than 90 countries. The GWT works in Nepal and the UK with elderly Gurkha veterans and their widows such as through a monthly welfare pension that GWT provides.
Early bird entry to the event at a reduced cost is open until 17 April 2020 and there are fundraising targets in order to participate.
For more information please visit: https://oxfamapps.org/trailwalker/.
