Last Sunday on September 18th, the City of London was host to over 100 Ataxians who had a mission: to walk from three to six miles and across six bridges, and to raise money and awareness for Ataxia UK.
An early start and cloudy sky greeted us at Lambeth’s Palace Gardens. As the group of walkers grew, so did the excitement, and with Westminster and the Houses of Parliament just over the river, Ataxia UK CEO Sue Millman gave a rousing speech to see us off. Clutching fruity energy bars and water, off we went, looking towards the famous OXO Tower where a fine spread would greet us at the finishing line. After four hours, a few wrong turns and some brief bouts of sunshine, our efforts were rewarded with a good old sit down.
And what an effort everyone made! Over £6,800 has been raised so far (a number that continues to rise), and the event wasn’t just a financial success; making a splash in our bright white T-shirts and hats emblazoned with the Ataxia UK logo, we were asked a familiar question by many members of the passing public: ‘what is ataxia?’ By handing out leaflets and talking with those who stopped to enquire, we also managed to raise awareness: an essential part of any fundraising mission.
Whether you walked, gave a donation, volunteered or helped spread the word, we want to thank you so much for your contribution to the City Bridges Challenge 2016. We look forward to seeing many of you again next year and in the meantime… keep shouting about it! Post your pictures on our social media channels, or congratulations for those who made it out.
See you next year!
Ataxia UK Team
