Bank staff set for marathon charity walk

The fund-raisers, from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, will be pulling on their boots and contributing to the more than five million steps the team will take to complete the 26-mile hike and to celebrate the £5m fund-raising milestone already reached for hospice care.

The challenge aims to raise more than £90,000 for Hospice UK with the banks matching the funding pound for pound to make every step count double.

The hike will take the team through one of the most stunning parts of the Yorkshire Dales, recognised as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The route will demand eight to 12 hours of trekking over undulating terrain to complete, taking in picturesque villages and remarkable reservoirs along the way.

The expedition is the latest phase in an impressive history of challenges completed by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks employees, who have previously cycled from coast to coast from the North Sea to the Irish Sea, scaled Ben Nevis and hiked along Hadrian’s Wall.

Carol Graham, 54, works as a mortgage advisor in Yorkshire Bank’s Blackpool branch and will be taking part in the hike alongside colleague Hayley Connor.

Carol said: “I’m really looking forward to taking part in the hike alongside so many colleagues to support Hospice UK. I’ve no doubt it will be challenging at points, but I’m sure it will be a great experience and knowing that the bank is matching our fundraising efforts will provide extra motivation along the way.”

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have been working with Hospice UK for eight years, raising more than £5m to date, to provide vital support to patients and their families at more than 200 hospices across the UK. Throughout the partnership, employees have also contributed more than 37,000 volunteering hours to their local hospices.

Tracey Bleakley, chief executive at Hospice UK, said: “We are so lucky to see new faces and old friends come on these amazing fund-raising challenges, and with such enthusiasm and determination.”