Walk this way! Peel L&P and The Christie charity announce brand new walking challenge along the Bridgewater canal

It's time to get those steps in with Peel L&P and team Christie for The Bridgewater Canal’s biggest ever charity event to take place in its 260-year history.

Peel L&P and The Christie charity are encouraging people across Greater Manchester to get up and out in the fresh air for a canal side stroll to raise money to support the services provided by Manchester’s world-class cancer centre, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie will start at the spectacular Trafford Palazzo on Sunday 4 June. Walkers of the 5-mile route will get to enjoy some of Greater Manchester’s most famous sites during the route which line the historic Bridgewater Canal whilst fundraising for The Christie charity.

With plenty of space and accessible walkways along The Bridgewater Canal, Peel L&P (who own and operate The Bridgewater Canal), and The Christie charity are hoping for more than 500 walkers to step out and stroll to raise tens of thousands of pounds in aid of The Christie charity. All abilities and paces will be welcome to walk.

The money raised through The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie, will support The Christie’s pioneering bloods closer to home service. The service, which is funded by The Christie charity and run by Christie staff, operates from 11 convenient locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

As the largest single site cancer centre in Europe, The Christie treats more than 60,000 patients across the North West each year. The bloods closer to home service, allows patients to book their own appointments online at a time that suits them, in a location that is convenient for them. Taking a blood sample is vital for patients to check how their organs are functioning and protein levels, which can also act as markers to see how the patient is responding to treatment. The blood sampling process takes less than a couple of minutes, however some patients have had to do a 2-hour roundtrip to get to The Christie’s Withington site. The bloods closer to home service drastically cuts down travel times which can be draining for patients needing frequent testing on top of undergoing treatment.

The fundraising walk will take place along the picturesque and historic Bridgewater Canal. Considered to be the first true canal in England, the 39-mile (65km) canal stretches from Runcorn to Leigh and was constructed over 250 years ago by the Duke of Bridgewater to transport coal from his mine at Worsley in Greater Manchester efficiently and cheaply to the rapidly expanding towns and cities nearby. Nowadays, The Bridgewater Canal is one of the best spots in Greater Manchester for wellbeing and is a leisure waterway popular with many cruising boaters.

Notable sites along the walk will include Old Trafford football stadium, Lancashire County Cricket Club’s ground, The Trafford Centre and the Embassy Village site which will be the UK’s largest purpose-built village for rough sleepers, being delivered by Peel L&P and partners. Prior to the walk there will be a variety of entertainment hosted at Trafford Palazzo and the party atmosphere will continue for walkers who complete the walk in Castlefield with more music, street food and drinks.

Strollers who sign up will receive fundraising tips, a sponsorship pack, and a free T-shirt to celebrate participating in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie, as well as a medal once walkers have completed the event. To help with The Christie charity’s goal to support its bloods closer to home service, the organisers would like to ask everyone who takes part in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie to aim to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50.

Peter Parkinson, Director Bridgewater Canal at Peel L&P said: “We are really looking forward to delivering this event in aid of The Christie charity. The Bridgewater Canal is a fantastic location with a fascinating history and is regularly enjoyed by many individuals and communities.

“This will be the biggest charity event to ever take place in The Bridgewater Canal’s history and we are excited to welcome so many new visitors to enjoy our accessible space which encourages wellness, connecting with nature and for walkers to see the iconic Manchester skyline from the canal side.”

Anna McIntosh, Major Relationships Development Manager at The Christie charity, said: “We are extremely excited that Peel L&P is creating this event to support The Christie and its Bloods Closer to Home service, This type of support means a huge amount to The Christie and funds raised from this event will directly improve services and helps us to support patients by making treatments more accessible in the surrounding area for many years to come.”

Kate Holland, Head of Charity and Community Initiatives for The Peel Group said: “We are proud supporters of The Christie charity and the pioneering research and support it provides to those affected by cancer. We wanted to create an event utilising one of Peel L&P’s most historic assets, whilst promoting the health benefits of walking and exercising as well as raising much needed funds for such an important charity to our region.

"We hope that lots of families, friends, teams and individuals feel encouraged to take part in this inclusive event, going at their own pace and enjoying the surroundings of the scenic Bridgewater Canal whilst raising much-needed funds for The Christie to support its services.”

How to sign up

You can sign up now to take part in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie on Sunday 4 June by visiting the website here.

Sign up prices are £15 per adult, £8 per child under 16, £38 for a family (2 adults, 2 children) and £65 for a team of 5 adults.

If you would like to become an official corporate sponsor of the event, please email the-christie.appeal.companies@nhs.net