What a Bonus!

We reported in July that the Rotary Club of Billericay participated in the Fun Walk for the first time this year, with Rotarian Roger Kettle as our sponsored walker, and club Member Peter Greene helping out as a marshall along the route.

There are two walks - the first is a three mile circular route around Cray’s Hill (including some stiles). The second is much shorter within Barleylands Farm — suitable for toddlers, those with pushchairs, the elderly and disabled.  The unique feature of The Fun Walk is a “bonus pot” donated by generous local businesses and individuals.

This year, the "Bonus Cheque" presentation was on the evening fo October 30th at Anisha Grange, the Care Home in Outwood Common Road Billericay.  All the particpating charities and local good causes which had participated, were there to collect their cheques, with great speculation on the size of the bonus pot. Our club was represented by President Ed Harrison and Peter Greene.

The Fun Walk started in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, when it raised over £6,000 for six charities and projects.  In 2014, Fun Walk participants raised £100,000 for 110 good causes, bringing the total raised since its inception to £636,000, and for every £100 raised in sponsorship by the walkers, a further £60 was added by the bonus pot.

John Baron, MP for Billericay, who founded the Charity which runs the Fun Walk was there to ensure the evening went well and to thank all the local businesses who had contributed to the Bonus pot.  He particularly thanked Hallmark Carehomes who own Anisha Grange both for donating to the Bonus Pot and allowing their premises to be used for the Presentation. Finally, he read out the names of all the other organizations who had donated to the Bonus Pot, and ended by thanking all members of the team who had worked so hard, for free, to make the event a success.

Congratulations to the participants, to all the businesses who funded the bonus, and to our MP and his team for initiating and driving this great success.

This year 100 charities and local "good causes" took part raising over £100,000.  But ... what was everybody waiting for, the size of the bonus pot.

"This year" said John Baron, "the Bonus Pot is a massive 90%".  For every £100 raised, we received a further £90 bonus.