This year’s Rotary Boundary Walk, which took place in a new ‘Bubble’ format due to Covid-19 restrictions, has been declared a resounding success by organisers.

Nearly 200 people took part in the 12-mile charity sponsored walk over three weeks in October, raising more than £7,000 for a range of good causes.

The event takes its name from the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ - an annual walk around the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough – and follows the same route.

Usually it sees about 600 participants setting out on a single Sunday in October to walk a fully marshalled route with checkpoints and road crossings manned by Rotarians.

But this year, due to social distancing rules, walkers were given a three-week window to complete a non-marshalled route in ‘bubbles’ of up to six people, such as families or charity groups.

“We were absolutely delighted with how the ‘Bubble’ format worked,” said organising committee chairman Jim Howles. “With the Boundary Walk impossible to run in the normal way, having 200 people still take part and raise so much money for charity in such a difficult year is a fantastic result.

“Lots of charities rely on it as a major fundraiser and we were determined to find a way for it to go ahead despite the restrictions.

“We’d like to say a huge thank-you to all the walkers who took part and to the Louis Baylis Trust and Shanly Foundation for their support.”

The Boundary Walk is jointly organised by Maidenhead Rotary Club and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club. They hope that by next year it will be able to return in its usual format but are thinking about introducing a longer window for walkers who are unable to take part in the main event.

​You're Invited!
​Remember, if you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming meetups to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved.  Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community. Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.

Maidenhead Boundary Walk – one of the town’s most important charity fundraising events - will be going ahead in a new ‘Bubble’ format due to Covid-19 restrictions, organisers have announced.
 
The Rotary-run sponsored walk usually sees hundreds of walkers tracing the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough on a single Sunday in October.
 
But this year, thanks to social distancing rules, things will be a bit different.
 
Instead participants can walk any time during a three-week period from Sunday, October 4 to Sunday, October 25, either on their own or in ‘bubbles’ such as families or charity groups.
 
They can do all or just part of the 12-mile route, which is already clearly signposted, starting and finishing at any point along the way. And instead of the traditional method of signing in at marshalled checkpoints to get their completion certificates, walkers will be asked to fill out a post-walk form and take photos at key locations along the way.
 
Everyone taking part is urged to raise sponsorship, and organisers say the Bubble Boundary Walk is the perfect opportunity for charities to replace vital funding lost due to Covid-19.
 
Organising committee chairman Jim Howles said: “We were determined to find a way for the Boundary Walk to go ahead despite Covid-19 The ‘Bubble’ format means charities and community groups will still be able to raise much-needed funds at a time when so many are in desperate straits because of the impact of the lockdown.
 
“The Bubble Boundary Walk is a ready-made sponsored event. Charities just need to mobilise their supporters to raise sponsorship money and walk the route – it’s that simple. It’s open to walkers of all ages and abilities and after months of lockdown it’s the chance to get out into the fresh air for a good cause.”
 
There is a registration fee - £2.50 for adults, £1 for children and £15 for groups of 15 or more – which covers admin costs including route maps and completion certificates. All sponsorship raised goes to the walker’s chosen charity.
 
The event, which is jointly organised by Maidenhead Rotary Club and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, is also supported by the Louis Baylis (Maidenhead Advertiser) Charitable Trust and the Shanly Foundation.
 
Full details about the walk and how to register can be found at www.boundarywalk.org.uk