Ipswich RDA Autumn Walk raises record amount at RHS

A fundraising walk around the grounds of the Royal Hospital School and local area was able to raise £1600 last week in aid of the charity Ipswich Riding for the Disabled.

The fundraising walks for Ipswich RDA have been running since 2004 but this year’s grand total is the most the walk has ever made with a record number of 105 participants. Originally the walk was held in the Dedham and Flatford area with volunteers serving lunch afterwards from the back of a camper van with a caravan serving as a makeshift kitchen. In 2014 the event migrated to the Royal Hospital School enabling it to expand its provision and allowing the group to run a variety of lengths of walks consisting of three different routes. Many of the walkers brought their four-legged friends along on the dog-friendly routes who also enthusiastically enjoyed the autumn sunshine and good company.

Frances Torrington, Secretary and Trustee of Ipswich RDA, said “the move to the Royal Hospital School has greatly enhanced the Autumn Walk providing a beautiful setting and the use of the school’s cricket pavilion has made the provision of coffee and lunches a great deal easier; it’s a joy to be able to use a proper kitchen! This year's total of £1600 will cover about one third of the group's running costs for the year, and so it is a very welcome sum of money.”