Melksham councillor Jon Hubbard is appealing for more people to sign up to join him on a fundraising walk in aid of two local charities.

Cllr Hubbard, chairman of The Big Walk steering group, was delighted to be able to sign up 17 more willing volunteers for the event on September 12 when he walked the 16-mile distance on a treadmill at County Hall in Trowbridge on Wednesday.

He said: “I started at 8.30am and finished at 3pm with just a 20-minute lunch break.”

Although Coun Hubbard was not actually fundraising on Wednesday, more than £100 was deposited in the collection tins.

It is the second warm up walk that Coun Hubbard is doing to highlight the event. The first one took place at the Co-op food store in Blackmore Road, Melksham, last month and he will once again take to the treadmill at Sainsbury’s in Melksham tomorrow.

The last warm-up walk will take place at Asda in Melksham on Saturday August 22.

Mr Hubbard added: “You can’t ask people for money without showing you’re prepared to do something for it. I hope as many people as possible will join me on September 12 to have a great day, enjoy the beautiful countryside and raise money for two very good causes.”

The Big Walk is raising cash for Hope for Tomorrow, a charity that purchases mobile chemotherapy units to bring cancer treatment closer to patients’ homes, and Young Melksham, a local charity working with children, young people and their families in the community area.

More details on the walk can be found at www.thebigwalk.org.uk