Sponsored walk hosted by Sidmouth RFC raises over £3k for Hospiscare

A group of 77 people raised over £3,000 for Hospiscare, a charity that provides end-of-life care, by taking part in its 'Men's Walk' on 18 March.

Sidmouth RFC arranged for part of the group to walk a nine-mile route starting at The Pig in Gittisham for breakfast, followed by the Red Lion, Volunteer Inn and Swan Inn.

They finished at Sidmouth RFC, where they were rewarded with a pint courtesy of Exeter Brewery and a pasty supplied by Chunk of Devon.

Local resident Ian Roberts said: "We've been doing Men's Walk for about five years now, and the group grows every year.

"We started as a group of ten, then in lockdown we started 'Men's Walk: Your Route'. There's a total of 77 of us taking part this year with Sidmouth RFC – 16 in the original Exeter Men's Walk and the rest completing 'Men's Walk: Your Route' in Sidmouth.

"We're all friends and it's a great day, we like to do this walk as everyone has their own stories. I use Men's Walk to get the guys together and it's a chance for everyone to share their stories… It's incredibly emotional, but also really positive!"

The event has raised over £91,500 so far across Devon, with sponsorship continuing to come in. The hospice is hopeful the final total will exceed £100,000.