People / Avon Fire and Rescue
Avon Fire & Rescue team walking 150 miles for Children in Need
Eight operational firefighters from Avon Fire & Rescue Charity team are currently on a gruelling 150-mile walk in full 25kg firefighting kit to raise money for Children in Need. The men plan to walk for 60 hours without sleep, visiting every station, headquarters and fire control building in Avon.
The team began walking from Weston-super-Mare at 8am on Wednesday, November 14, and will reach their destination, Temple Fire Station in central Bristol, around 7pm on Friday, November 16. On the way they will stop off at fire stations including Chew Magna, Radstock, Bath, Yate, Thornbury, Avonmouth, Portishead and Nailsea for a much-needed rest.
They firefighters say they have been given lots of support from passers-by during their first two days
Richard Wheeler, one of the firefighters taking part in the walk, told Bristol24/7 that the stand-out thing for him so far has been the enthusiasm of the locals they have met along the way.
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“The support has been really, really good,” he said. “Everyone has been beeping their horns, and people are literally pulling over and throwing money at us.”
The firefighters are raising money for Children in Need, which has its annual takeover of BBC One on Friday, November 16. More than £1,600 has already been donated via the team’s Just Giving page, beating their target of £1,500 before the walk ends.
“We’ve got over £300 in the bucket in loose change,” Richard says. “Money is still flying in!”
Students from Blagdon Primary School showed their support to the firefighters as they passed by
The team of eight are having to resort to unusual measures to keep themselves awake and walking in heavy kit, including breathing apparatus, tunic, leggings and helmets.
“We’ve been tasked with reading a book each,” says Richard. “We’ve got a couple of speakers on the go too, so we’ve made a playlist with some good music to keep us going. And, of course, we’ve got the firefighter banter!”
The team will walk into Bristol from Clevedon from 8am on Friday, November 16. Find the full route and approximate timings on the AFRS Charity Team Facebook page. Donate to the cause by texting “AFRS99 £1” (or £2, £3, £4, £5, £10) to 70070 or by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/afrs150
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