Take on the White Horse Challenge for county air ambulance appeal (From Wiltshire Times)

Take on the White Horse Challenge for county air ambulance appeal

5:00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Latest News By Jill Crooks

Walkers can discover some of the county’s white horses while raising money for the life-saving work of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Participants can do anything from seven to 55 miles in the White Horse Challenge and the walk suits all ages and levels of fitness.

The event, in its seventh year, is on the weekend of July 7 and 8 and is sponsored by the Wiltshire Times and its sister paper, the Gazette & Herald.

It is organised by chartered accountancy firm Monahans and Rygor Commercials.

In the last six years, it has raised more than £70,000 for the air ambulance charity.

The routes take in some of the county’s White Horses, including those at Devizes, Pewsey, Alton Barnes and Cherhill.

The walk can be done by individuals, teams or families. Organisers say the seven-mile route on the Sunday is perfect for families, while serious walkers might tackle the 55-mile route over both days.

Zoe Meaden of Monahans said: “Even in difficult economic times, last year people were still enthusiastic about fundraising for the event and the public was as generous as ever.

“We are keen to talk to anyone who is interested in the challenge, so we can match a route to their expectations and ability.”

The air ambulance charity needs to raise £700,000 a year. The helicopter is based at police headquarters in Devizes and can reach anywhere in the county within 12 minutes, including places inaccessible to land ambulances.

Almost half of the incidents it attends are road accidents. At other times, it gets called to horse riding accidents, sports injuries, industrial and farm accidents, fires and general medical emergencies.

Caroline Corrigan, the head of fundraising for Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “Each year, the Air Support Unit continues to be surprised at the support that the White Horse Challenge has and we sincerely hope that 2012 is as successful as previous years.

“To put into perspective what these funds mean to the charity, it costs £2,000 per day to keep Wiltshire’s Air Ambulance flying, saving lives.

“The funds raised so far have kept the helicopter flying for 35 days since its first event in 2006. Support on this scale is so very much appreciated.”

To find out more about the White Horse Challenge, visit www.whitehorsechallenge.co.uk. On the website is a link to a Facebook page.