A Celebration of the Platinum Jubilee

The Rotary Club of Billericay has been a long-term supporter of the Billericay Fun Walk, which helps raise money for charities in the District through sponsorship and a bonus pot for which our local MP John Baron solicits donations from local funds, each year.

John Baron MP and his team started the Fun Walk in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and raised £6,000 for six charities and projects. The event became an annual one and continues to grow – the amount raised in 2021 brings the total raised to £1,362,000 since the Fun Walk’s inception.

Last year’s event raised over £90,000 for local charities and good causes and with help from local businesses the Trustees hope to do even better this year. We did our walk around Stock and raised over £2,400 in sponsorship including Gift Aid last year, plus a bonus of £581.  A grand total of just over £3,000.

“Entering a team is a fantastic way for groups to have fun outside, whilst raising money for a good cause.”
The event is usually held in September, but this year has been brought forward to June to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and renamed in her honour.

Virtually No Problem

“Virtual” does not mean it wasn’t real!  No, “virtual” because each group participating had to complete their own walk within June, rather than a “mass” walk of all participants together at Barleylands as in the years before Covid.

Our Club has done the walk for many years, providing walkers and marshals to help all those taking part keep to the route. A “Virtual Event” - no problem. Even the marshal could take part.
The Rules? Walk at least 5km: Anywhere, At any time, during June.
Anywhere? We decided to return to Little Burstead, the site of our walk in 2020.
When? Any warm and dry day in June – we opted for the third week of June to be clear of the Jubilee and the Soapbox Derby, and with a close eye on the weather forecast, decided on Wednesday June 22, when we were expecting a balmy 22-24C. That’s 71-75F to our older members.

The Intrepid Team

So on a glorious sunny day, we assembled outside the Dukes Head Pub in Little Burstead.

Who were these brave souls?  Our usual crew of Roger Kettle, Patrick Rothon, Malcolm Acors, Peter Greene and Brian Wellman, as well as Peter and Christabel Strong, and Wendy Williams.  An excellent turnout of eight intrepid walkers.

With our guide and “Route-Meister” Roger in the lead, we set off into Laindon Common, through the woods and around Burstead Golf course and Frith Wood, across Tye Common Road and down Hatches Farm Lane to Botney Hill. Then across the fields towards Lower Dunton Road, before turning uphill towards the copse and on to Little Burstead War Memorial.

The woods were cool, the golf course quiet, and the fields full of wheat, in some cases as “tall as an elephant’s eye” (with apologies to Oklahoma) and the going quite tough.  But Essex is a beautiful county and the views were fantastic.

So To Cooling Down

Finally along Broomhills through the woods and across the fields back to the Dukes Head and the end of our route.  How far? Over five kms.! Well done to all.

Two hours in the hot sun! Must be time for some refreshments - so round to the garden of the pub for drinks and food while we cooled down after our exertions.

What have we raised? Well, all the sponsorship is not yet in but we have already raised many hundreds of pounds.