The organisers of Maidenhead’s annual Rotary Boundary Walk have honoured one of the event’s most dedicated supporters.

For 15 years Brenda has opened her riverside garden in Bray to be the landing stage for walkers ferried across the River Thames as they complete the 13-mile fundraising walk around the town.

The ferry is manned by Maidenhead Sea Cadets from TS Iron Duke and without their help and the support of Brenda the river crossing would not be possible. Her assistance has ensured the safe landing of thousands of walkers as they disembark from the cadets’ boats.

On Saturday Brenda was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of her contribution by Rotarian Eddie Piekut and Leading Cadet Krish from TS Iron Duke.

Chair of the sea cadets Andrew Adamson said: “Brenda has been our guardian angel. Her commitment over the past 15 years has been vital for the success of the Boundary Walk. Her landing spot in Bray and the warmth of her hospitality have made the Thames crossing a memorable experience for walkers.”

Eddie added: “Presenting Brenda with a Certificate of Appreciation is a great honour. We are delighted to collaborate with Brenda and the sea cadets. Their support has made the ferry crossing of the Thames a highlight of the Boundary Walk. It’s with pride that we jointly present Brenda with this certificate.”

The Boundary Walk is a fantastic way to raise money for your favourite good cause. Taking place this year on Sunday, October 1, the event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough.

Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead, it is a ready-made fundraiser. The route is fully signposted and marshalled by Rotarians and all participants have to do is register, raise sponsorship and complete the walk.
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To register for this year’s walk see: www.maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk/boundary-walk.html

A new interactive information board about one of Maidenhead’s best loved community events has been unveiled.
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It is packed with information about Maidenhead Boundary Walk, a sponsored walk run every October by Rotary that sees hundreds of people taking part to raise money for charity.

Positioned next to Boulters Lock, near the start of the 13-mile walk, the information board features a map of the route, the history of the event, and interactive QR codes linking to the Boundary Walk website and a downloadable version of the map.

The Boundary Walk commemorates the centuries-old tradition of ‘Beating the Bounds’, in which the Mayor annually toured the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough, and the board shows where historic boundary stones can still be found. The tradition was revived in its current form by Rotary and the East Berks Ramblers in 1982.

The information board was produced by Eddie Piekut of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club as part of a Royal Borough innovation project.

He said: “The Boundary Walk is a historical asset for Maidenhead and something to celebrate. We hope the information board will be a point of interest for residents and help promote the walk route as a wellbeing activity.”

On its reverse, the board features a map of the old Maidenhead Borough and information about organisations like the Ramblers and Maidenhead Civic Society which have been involved in the event over the years.
Eddie said the Royal Borough plans to refurbish some of the boundary stones and route signage to improve year-round access.

This year’s Boundary Walk, which takes place on Sunday, October 1, will mark 50 years since the last official ‘Beating of the Bounds’ led by then mayor Euphemia Underhill in 1973.
To sign up for this year’s walk see www.boundarywalk.org.uk

THE chance to step out in aid of your favourite good cause is being offered by the organisers of this year’s Maidenhead Rotary Boundary Walk.

Taking place on Sunday, October 2, the annual event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the route of the old Maidenhead Borough.

Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead, the event is a ready-made fundraiser. The route is fully signposted and marshalled by Rotarians and all participants have to do is register, raise sponsorship and complete the walk.

The traditional route is 13.1 miles but a new 2.5-mile ‘family route’ has been introduced this year to ensure the event is open to everyone.

Eddie Piekut from the organising team said: “We invite everyone to join us on October 2 to make this year’s Maidenhead Boundary Walk the best year ever with a record-breaking number of walkers. 

“It’s open to walkers of all ages and abilities, individuals, groups or families. It’s a great opportunity to take part in a wonderful local tradition, have some fun, and raise much needed money for your chosen causes. 

 “Both routes start and finish at Boulters Lock car park. The traditional route takes you through some of the loveliest countryside around Maidenhead, while the new family walk is a picturesque stroll round Boulters Island, crossing the river to the Taplow side before heading back.”

The Boundary Walk celebrates the centuries-old tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ which marked the creation of the original Borough of Maidenhead in 1582. Each year the Mayor would get beaters to drive square-headed nails into posts and walls along the boundary route, each bearing his initials.

By 1934 the boundary was marked by stones – many of which can still be seen today – and during the walk the mayor would tap each one with the ceremonial mace to ‘reinforce’ the boundary. The last official ‘beating the bounds’ was in 1973 but was resurrected as the Boundary Walk in 1982 to mark the 400th anniversary of the borough and became an annual fundraising event.

There is a registration fee to take part, which covers the costs of running the event, but participants keep 100 per cent of the sponsorship they raise. Everyone who completes the walk gets a certificate.

The event is open to everyone, though under-16s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Entry fees for the traditional walk are £5 for adults and £1 for children. For the family route the cost is £3 for adults and £1 for children.
Registration for group of 15 or more is just £20 for the traditional walk and £10 for the family walk, if you register in advance by September 9. 

THE section of the River Thames running through Maidenhead was given a spring clean on Saturday by all of the town’s Rotary Clubs assisted by its sea cadet unit.

Members drawn from the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead, Maidenhead Bridge, Maidenhead Thames and Maidenhead Rotaract scoured the river bank for litter between Boulters Lock and the M4 at Bray, while sea cadets from TS Iron Duke in Mill Lane took to the water in launches to clear litter from the river itself.

In parallel to the clean-up, Claire Booth and Sushi Gow from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club ran a stall in the High Street giving information to members of the public about how to reduce their carbon footprint and live more sustainably.​

The initiative was part of a Thames Valley-wide Rotary project which saw all clubs whose areas include the Thames turning out to clean up their stretches of the River. The day was also used to highlight an international Rotary campaign called End Plastic Soup, which aims to stop single-use plastics being dumped into our waterways and oceans by 2050.

The Maidenhead clean-up was organised by a team from all four Rotary clubs led by Rotarian Gurdial Singh.

He said: “It was a fantastic day and shows what can be achieved when Rotary Clubs join forces with each other and work with community groups. Rotary would like to say a huge thank you to Maidenhead Sea Cadets for coming on board with the project and providing such invaluable help.
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“While we picked up a respectable amount of litter from the river banks, many areas were actually reasonably clean so well done to the people of Maidenhead for being environmentally aware and taking their litter home with them. Thank you to everyone for their support on the day.”

THE town’s four Rotary Clubs will be teaming up on Saturday for a spring clean along the River Thames.
 
Members of the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead, Maidenhead Thames, Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead Rotaract will be collecting litter from both banks of the river between Boulters Lock and the M4 at Bray.
 
They will be supported by Maidenhead sea cadets who will be manning boats to allow Rotarians to also clear litter from the river itself.
 
Meanwhile, a separate team from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club will be manning a stall in the town centre to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote greener alternatives to help people reduce their carbon footprint.
 
The project is part of a Thames Valley-wide Rotary initiative which will see clubs which cover stretches of the river from Oxford to Windsor turning out to clean up their sections of the Thames.
 
As well as reducing litter and its impact on the environment, the day also aims to promote a major Rotary programme called End Plastic Soup which has the objective of stopping single-use plastics being dumped into waterways and oceans worldwide by 2050.
 
Sushi Gow from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for all of the town’s Rotary Clubs to join forces for the good of our community. By working together we can make a real difference and also raise awareness of important environmental issues.
 
“Last year Rotary added protecting the environment as a new core area of focus so this will be only the first of many initiatives locally, nationally and internationally as we turn the same energy and determination that has led to the near eradication of polio to reducing the impact of climate change.”
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Rotary is the world’s largest volunteer humanitarian organisation with 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs across the globe. Together they work to make the world a better place is areas such as promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, protecting mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies and protecting the environment.

​We are excited to release the third edition of our club newsletter for this Rotary Year, and the first for 2022.  ​It is packed full of updates and articles on all the amazing things we've been doing over the past couple of months and a few details of upcoming events, highlighting just how active we and how much fun we have!

You're Invited!
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 events 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.
 
We hope you enjoy reading it and if you, or anyone you know, would like to get involved with any of our volunteering opportunities, or attend one of our meetings, please do get in touch; and feel free to share our newsletter with others too.

Homeless people in Maidenhead and Windsor are set to receive some seasonal good cheer thanks to a joint initiative by three of the borough’s service organisations.
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Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, Maidenhead  Rotary Club  and Maidenhead Lions Club have teamed up to provide 30 goodie  bags packed with fun and practical items ranging from socks and toothpaste to chocolate Santas'.

The initiative is co-ordinated by Rotarian Eddie Piekut, who is also a volunteer for the RBWM Primary Care Service for the Homeless. He said: “If I was on the street I would be really chuffed to get one of these bags. It would give me a real lift to know someone was thinking about me this Christmas.”

He added: “It’s great to be part of the borough’s overall approach to the homeless. With help from RBWM’s ‘Make Every Adult Matter’ Rough Sleepers Team and Browns Community Services CIC we will ensure these bags provide some Christmas cheer to those in need.”

Lions president Karen Brown said: “The presents are part of the Lions’ overall approach to Christmas in 2021, where we are delivering vouchers to some of our town’s vulnerable people and their families to let them know Lions are still out there assisting the community.”

Nas Parkes, president of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, said: “Winter is a very difficult time for people without a permanent roof over their heads, especially during the pandemic and this will help bring them a bit of festive cheer.”
President of Maidenhead Rotary Club Martin Trepte added: “This is a great initiative and shows what can be achieved when the town’s service clubs work together.”

Almost £15,000 was raised for 39 different charities by walkers taking part in the 40th Rotary Club Boundary Walk on Sunday.
 
More than 350 participants stepped out in aid of their favourite causes for the annual sponsored walk. While most completed the traditional 13-mile circular route around the town, others followed a new 5km family route introduced this year to ensure the event was accessible to walkers of all ages and abilities.
 
The highest single amount of sponsorship was £2,500, raised by a 55-strong team led by Rotarian Gurdip Bahra in aid of the Makindhu Dental Project, which provides vital dentistry to a rural community in Kenya.
 
The event is based on the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’, a walk around the boundary of the old Maidenhead borough which dates back to the town being given its charter in 1582.
 
It is organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Maidenhead and Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge which deployed nearly 60 volunteers to man checkpoints and marshal road crossings along the route.

​This year saw the Boundary Walk return to business as usual after being held in a special ‘bubble’ format last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

​Event chairman Jim Howles said: “Despite the number of walkers being down, which we think is due to people still being cautious after lockdown, the amount raised for good causes was absolutely fantastic and up there with some of our busiest years.”

Fellow organiser Lisa Hunter added: “It was really wonderful to be back for our 40th anniversary and to see the happy, smiling faces of those taking part.”

Maidenhead MP Theresa May once again joined walkers for the start of the walk, along with Royal Borough Mayor, Cllr John Story, and Rotary district governor Karen Eveleigh.
 
Mrs May said: “It’s great to see the Boundary Walk back to normal. It is such an important feature of the Maidenhead year. It’s lovely to see so many people coming along and participating.  It’s really important that people are out today raising money for charities as they have found it really difficult during the pandemic as most of their fundraising events have not been able to take place.”

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There’s still time to sign up for the 40th anniversary Boundary Walk next month. But did you know the popular charity fundraiser has its roots in a much older local tradition?

Hundreds of walkers are expected to be stepping out to raise money for their favourite good causes when they take part in the Rotary Boundary Walk. The event, on Sunday, October 3, has become one of the town’s biggest charity fundraisers and this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the addition of a new 5km route for families.

But walking the main 13-mile route following the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough harks back to the very origins of Maidenhead itself and the granting of a ‘Charter of Incorporation’ which brought the Borough of Maidenhead into being in 1582.

It became a tradition for the Mayor to get beaters to drive square-headed nails into posts and walls along the boundary route, each bearing his initials on its head. So was born the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’.

By 1934 the boundary of the borough was marked by stones – many of which can still be seen today – and during the walk the mayor would tap each one with the ceremonial mace to ‘reinforce’ the boundary. The last official ‘beating the bounds’ was in 1973, when Euphemia Underhill was Mayor.

But in 1982 the Boundary Walk as we know it today was resurrected by Rotary and the East Berkshire Ramblers to help mark the 400th anniversary of the granting of the charter and became an annual fundraising event.

Originally held on the last Sunday of September, the date was changed to the first Sunday in October as it clashed with Harvest Festival church services. While other changes over the years have included a shift to online booking and sponsorship, the event remains at its heart an opportunity for people to walk in aid of their chosen charities.

Now run as a joint project by Maidenhead and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Clubs, the Boundary Walk will be back to normal in October after being held in a ‘bubble’ format last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Boundary Walk chair Jim Howles said: “We are delighted the Boundary Walk is back in its usual format this year. So, individuals, groups and families are all invited to take part in this little bit of Maidenhead’s history and at the same time raise money for their chosen causes.”

Both routes start and finish at Boulters Lock car park and follow a fully signposted path with checkpoints manned by Rotary marshals. The family route is a nice circular stroll via Guards Club Park, Oldacres and the A4.

There is a registration fee to take part which covers administration costs including route maps and completion certificates. All sponsorship raised goes to the walker’s chosen charity.

For more details and to register see www.boundarywalk.org.uk

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.