End of season walk

[charlie]

Hello guys,

 

Thought I'd start a thread on this after having a few brief discussions behind the goal...

 

As most of you know, we should, by the laws of end of season walks, be walking to Sutton Coldfield, which is 107miles give or take.

 

This is obviously a mammoth task, but in the interests of getting as much money in as possible, we perhaps need to consider the best way of tackling this.

 

Here are some options (though feel free to add your own if you can think of an alternative)

 

a)walk the whole distance - this would take 5-6 days, so would require the walkers to get a week off work. While this may limit the numbers of walkers, we have seen from the Worthing walk that we can still generate a lot of cash, even if there's only a handful of them.

 

b)Walk the full distance over 5 weeks - each saturday in the four weeks prior to the game the walkers could walk 21 miles between two points, leaving 23 miles for the actual match day. People who only wanted to join in on the match day could meet the other walkers at a designated point 23 miles outside Sutton Coldfield's ground. This could encourage more walkers, whilst keeping the purists happy about walking the full length.

 

c)Walk somewhere else - two saturdays before the Sutton game we're away to Bury, which is worse at 110 miles ish, but the Tuesday game before that is Marlow, which is 10.6 miles ish. The away game before that is Rothwell, which would be a nightmare, but prior to that is Biggleswade, which is 56 miles which could be done in 3 days.

 

d)A combination - the hard core walkers do Sutton Coldfield, other generous types who'd like to walk can do the Marlow one.

 

Thanks for reading all this - please let me know which option would suit you best.

[Rebel Kay]

I think that option d is probably the best. Obviously some are stupid enough to undertake the whole hike in one go, although it is a shame I had my brilliant idea of walking half way to the first game and the remainder to the last game only a couple of days before the Sutton Coldfield game, somewhat too late.

 

I know not everyone can spare a whole week off work so providing an alternative to those who still wish to participate would be good. marlow is easily do able and would provide something of a training exercise as well.

 

However, doing several walks may detract from the amount of money the long walk might raise as a short one wont generate as much.

[Guest Radder]

For me, option d would be the preference. It's 'traditional' for the walk to be to the last away game of the season and I have no intention on changing that from a personal point of view. I also believe that it should be done immediately before the game, although I do understand it will be difficult for some to take that much time off work in a row. I am also fully aware that this walk will only attract a small number of people, probably even less in numbers than the previous Worthing challenge. Therefore, the idea of a walk to Marlow to supplement the Romulus walk is a good idea, and I don't honestly see it taking away too much money/credit to the brave/stupid (delete as applicable) few who do carry out the longer walk.

[charlie]

I must admit I wondered whether running two walks would split the cash, but then I suppose that doesn't take into account non-STFC people who can sponsor the 10-mile walkers.

 

Would be interested to hear others' thoughts.

[Martin]

I agree with Kay and Radders. The only other thought I had was that we just do a). This obviously limits the number of walkers which is a shame for everybody who misses out but then everybody can put all their fund raising efforts into sponsoring those doing the whole thing. Instead of having 30 people looking for individual sponsorship we have the whole fanbase sponsoring those mad/brave enough to do the whole thing and trying to attract sponsorship from those outside the club.

 

Personally if I am going to take a week of work and do the whole thing I will be looking to raise a significant amount of cash for the charity/club and if the total were disappointing I think my motivation may diminish!

 

Either way we need to have regular updates at the ground and in the programme as to what the plan is and how we are doing from a sponsorship perspective.

[brighton_rebel]

Im not doing the walk but i think Martin is right. The long walk will seriously limit numbers but i think a lot more people would sponsor because it is so far away, rather than lots of different confusing, options.

Has anything been in the programme about last years walk and fundraising efforts?

[HorshamRebel]

Nothing yet, only in the Observer.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

If the option D is used, could you look for corporate sponsorship for the Romulus walk and the Marlow walk would follow the traditional sponsorship route?

 

The only problem with corporate sponsorship is the lack of companies with any spare cash at the momment - however a Mars a day helps walk, walk and walk!

 

If two walks are done it needs to be made clear that they are seperate activities and then this could see a doubling up of sponsorship opertunities?

 

Press wise the Marlow walk would only attract local rags, however the Sutton Coldfield walk could be targeted at a far wider (even national) press.

[Ian]

From the perspective of someone who isn't intending to walk at all (!!) I think you have to let anyone who wants to walk to Sutton Coldfield the opportunity to do it. It's traditional and anyone attempting it should be applauded. Yes, I'm biased due to Kay being one of the nutters but having gone ahead with planning Worthing when so many people said we couldn't and shouldn't do it I can understand where she, Martin and Radders are coming from.

 

There were only six of us who walked to Worthing but from memory that was the largest amount we'd raised of all the walks I was involved with. The long distance meant people were far more generous.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

As that is the first week back after the Easter break I obviously could not take a week off. Unfortunately though even if I wanted to walk to say Bury Town, I probably couldnt as I have struggled with the 20+ mile walks of recent years with blisters etc which would make walking for 3 days quite difficult. I would walk to Marlow but I am really not sure that I would get any sponsorship for it, as my takings for the longer walks are really not that good.

 

I would, however, be willing to go with the idea of letting the crazy ones walk over 5 days and trying to get sponsorship for them, perhaps with the possibility of joining them on the final day, so a mix of a and b.

[richierebel]

Whatever happened to Silly Hats Day!? that was much easier and far less energetic

[brighton_rebel]

It's become Big Blisters Day!

[Wayne_LG]

Do a sponsored bike ride to Sutton, then 108 miles can be done in time!

Surely someone has a van to get the bikes back.

[AshbyRebel]

I know this is a crazy idea and probably a no-goer from the outset, but I live in Ashby de la Zouch, 20 miles from Sutton Coldfield. Why not do the walk from Ashby to Sutton - it could be done on the Saturday (I have done it twice when I had a mate who lived there and I had no car!) and being 20 miles, would still be long enough to give the walkers blisters!

 

Oh, and yes, I would be willing to be one of the walkers ....

 

 

Just a thought

 

Ashby Rebel

(Kevin)

[charlie]

I had considered a bike ride actually, but seeing as I don't own a bike it would involve rather a large fiscal investment on my part at least before I could take part. Now Kevin's idea I like...maybe we should combine ARAS' idea with the original one for the nutter walkers - those who want to do the whole thing can, and the rest of us who fancy a 20 mile trek could join you on the last day? You might need a bit of a morale boost by that point...I just wonder whether the non walkers would be able to persuade their friends/work colleagues and family outside of STFC to pledge money for someone they don't know walking 100-odd miles...

[Ian]

Cyling is not really an option. A 108 mile ride is not for the feint hearted. I speak from experience given I've been in training to do London to Paris over 3 days starting next week!

 

It would be almost impossible to get to SC by 3pm if you did the 108 miles in one go. I did a 46 mile ride last Saturday which with stops for rest, food, check the route etc took 4 1/2 hours (3 and a bit hours of actual cycling). Over double that would mean setting off at about 3am and that's assuming you don't get slower which over that distance most would.

 

[HorshamRebel]

Just look at how long it takes people to ride the London-Brighton, and that's half the distance.

[Ian]

Yep, did that in June as part of my training. Set off at 8.30am and got to Brighton at about 3.30pm although that was partly due to the sheer volume of bikes which meant decent progress was impossible for the first 20 miles.