Trust colleagues raise ‘monument-al’ amount on Stonehenge charity walk

The SMT Striders took part in a 13-mile charity walk around Stonehenge in Wiltshire on Saturday 11 May.

Twenty colleagues from across the Trust took part in the cross-country walk, which took in the outskirts of Salisbury and views of the world famous Stonehenge monument from the surrounding chalk downs.

Challenging conditions

The SMT Striders team was led by St Monica Trust’s Information Governance Manager, Julian Pimm. He said: “It was a very hot day, but we all walked at our own pace and everyone coped really well with the challenging conditions.

“It took five hours to get around the course and it was great to have the time to talk to colleagues and get to know a little bit more about each other.

“Nearly everyone on the walk had a close relative or loved-one who had been affected by dementia and our front-line colleagues who work in the Trust’s care homes and villages support those who are living with dementia on a daily basis.

“The team raised an amazing amount of money – more than we ever thought we’d get – so I’d like to say, ‘thank you very much’ to everyone who sponsored us and helped support a really good cause.”

Trust matches total raised

The SMT Striders beat their original target of £4,400 by raising a total of £5,691, which the Trust then generously agreed to match with its own donation.

The money raised on the day will help pay for vital services and research into treatments to improve the lives of those living with dementia.

The Trust’s Chief Executive, David Williams who also took part in the walk, said: “It was wonderful to see so many St Monica Trust colleagues from different sites and services connecting with each other through the shared aim of raising money for a cause, which is so close to our hearts.

“This was truly a team effort, involving not only to those who completed the charity walk, but also everyone at the Trust who made a contribution - either by sponsoring someone or offering their support and encouragement to those who took part.

“I am one tired, hot, but extremely proud CEO!”