Garden Re-leaf Walk raises £22.5k for Greenfingers
Published: 22 March 2017 - Jenny Wonnacott
Last Friday (March 17) saw more than 100 keen garden industry participants don their walking and running shoes to complete a 21 mile distance in honour of industry charity Greenfingers.
More than 100 walkers and runners took part in the 21 mile event
Sponsored by Scotsdales Garden Centres, the Garden Re-Leaf Day event raised £22,500. Garden Re-Leaf founder and Greenfingers trustee Boyd Douglas-Davies officially cut the ribbon to start the walk/run, alongside Glee organised Matthew Mein, who came up with the first Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk back in 2015.
The walk began at Scotsdales Garden Centre in Horningsea and finished at Scotsdales' Great Shelford branch, taking in the sights of Cambridge along the way.
GIMA director Vicky Nuttall was among the participants, completing the walk in around seven hours, “slightly achy and very wind-burnt.” Having raised more than £600 individually, Ms Nuttall thanked her sponsors and said, “We work in a truly amazing and inspiring industry.”
Vehicles along the route provided support for the runners and walkers, with sponsors including Cadix Ltd, Quinton Edwards and Town & Country. Refreshments were sponsorored by SBM Life Science.
Heidi Towse, who dressed as a cherry tomato for the event, was the first 10 mile runner to complete the route in under one hour and 45 minutes, before going on to row 13 miles to complete the event as a duathlon. The Scotsdales team at Great Shelford joined Ms Towse by clocking up miles on static bikes.
Ehlo team members were the first 20 mile runners to cross the finish line – despite taking a wrong turn – closely followed by Matthew Mein and Matt Jackson of Briers. Lead 20 mile walkers were chartered surveyor for the horticultural industry Simon Quinton Smith and Chris Houfe of Great British Cards, closely followed by Paul Williams of Gardenstone.
Upon completing the walk, Mr Douglas-Davies said: “"What a great day, and what an Incredible turnout - the industry, Scotsdales and the Greenfingers team did us proud! Matt Mein, I take my hat off to, brilliant idea and incredible that he ran it! Chris Houfe and Simon Quinton Smith - who'd have thought it! Little did I know when I set off with them that they were both speed walkers. What an incredible pace, blistering is the only word! I'm chuffed to bits with the event, the spirit, the amount raised and my own result...8th, just five minutes behind the lead walkers...and I ache like mad!”