FIVE hundred people have already committed to taking on the Naomi House & Jacksplace Clarendon Way Walk.

The 26-mile sponsored walk takes place on June 2 and organisers are keen to sign up more supporters willing to stride out in support of the seriously ill local children.

Walkers will set off from Winchester early in the morning, with a full day’s hiking ahead of them. A 12-mile walk is available for those who want a less daunting challenge, starting in Broughton and ends in Salisbury.

The longer walk passes through Farley Mount, King’s Somborne, Houghton, Broughton, Winterslow and Pitton, before passing close to the site of Clarendon Palace on the approach to Salisbury and the Cathedral’s towering spire.

Volunteers from Winchester’s Army Training Regiment will help setup the event and man marshal points and water stations. There will also be nearly 100 volunteers donating their time to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Charlotte Patrick, events fundraiser for Naomi House & Jacksplace, said: “The Clarendon Way Walk is a hugely important event for our hospices and this year’s walk looks set to be a huge success. Walkers can expect beautiful scenery, great comradeship and fabulous weather alongside unrivalled support and organisation. We hope the event will raise enough money to fund more than 5,000 hours of high quality nursing care, which is so desperately needed by seriously ill local children, young adults and their families. It’s a challenging but enjoyable event, and a great way to get fit and explore some of Hampshire and Wiltshire’s most beautiful countryside.”

Places on the Clarendon Way Walk cost £24 for adults and £18 for under 18’s. It is hoped that this year’s walk will raise more than £100,000 towards the charity’s running costs in support of seriously ill children and young adults.

The trail takes its name from the ruins of Clarendon Palace, which are situated near the western end of the walk, just above Salisbury. The ruins of the once-expansive palace are insubstantial, but the views over Salisbury are superb and a welcome sight for weary walkers as they complete their fundraising challenge.

To sign up for the 2019 Clarendon Way Walk, please visit www.naomihouse.org.uk/walk.

Naomi House & Jacksplace, the specialist regional hospice, currently cares for more than 325 local children and young adults with life limiting and life threatening conditions. The charity offers the only comprehensive, 24 hour hospice service locally and has cared for 1,144 of the region’s most medically complex youngsters since opening its doors in 1997.