Galloway's bay walk cancelled

Galloway's Society for the Blind has been forced to cancel its flagship fundraising walk across the bay this weekend, at a cost to the charity
Cedric Robinson leads a previous Galloway's walk across the bay.Cedric Robinson leads a previous Galloway's walk across the bay.
Cedric Robinson leads a previous Galloway's walk across the bay.

of more than £20,000 in lost income.

Galloway’s Society for the Blind has held an annual Morecambe Bay Walk, to raise money for local people living with sight loss, every year for the past 25 years.

In that time the total raised from doing so is in excess of £500,000.

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The walk was previously cancelled earlier this year, and hundreds of people were booked to take part in the re-scheduled walk on saturday, but on

Monday morning Cedric Robinson MBE, Queen’s Guide to the Sands and leader of the Galloway’s walks, informed the charity he was unable to find a route across the sands that he was happy was safe to be used.

Stuart Clayton, chief executive of Galloway’s, said: “We are absolutley gutted to be in this position again, I really didn’t think that lightning could stricke twice. This is only the second occasion it has had to be cancelled in those 25 years.

“The whole team who have worked so hard to organise the re-scheduled walk are devastated.

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“In this, our 150th birthday year, we had high hopes for the Bay Crossing Walk. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year and it not taking place leaves us with a massive hole to fill, somewhere in the region of £20,000.”

Cedric Robinson has been leading people across Morecambe Bay since taking up the Guide role in 1963.

He said: “I am acutely aware how much Galloway’s relies on the income from the Cross Bay Walk. I am also really proud of the amount we’ve managed to raise together for Galloway’s over the years.

“But safety absolutely has to come first. With all the rain we’ve had over the summer and more forcast for the week before the walk, the water level in the sands was higher than we were expecting it to be. It was impossible to find a route I was happy with and sadly once

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again had to make the call to Galloway’s to give them the bad news.”

The walk was sponsored by Preston-based architects, Frank Whittle Partnership (FWP), who have been long-term supporters of Galloway’s.

Anyone wanting to make a donation in lieu of the walk taking place should go to www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/GallowaysMBWAppeal.

Anyone wanting further information on the work of Galloway’s or the 2018 Morecambe Bay Walk, should call Claire Warner on 01772 744148 or email

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