Six on 100-mile walk to raise funds for ELF hope to raise �5,000

TWO friends from Sidmouth are among six women to undertake a 100-mile walk in a bid to raise �5,000 for charity.

Jaime Smallacombe, 24, from Woolbrook Road, and Chloe Faulkner, 21, from Arcot Park, will walk with Australian Jayde Wilson, Kylie and Chloe Parkman from Tiverton and Lucy Hancock, 35, from Fore Street, Exmouth, from St Austell, Cornwall, to Woodbury Park Hotel, where five of them work.

They have undertaken daily training for the walk, which they start on March 19 and plan to complete in four days, doing 25 miles a day.

Jaime, who manages the hair salon at the hotel, and her friends, decided to raise money for ELF – Exeter Leukaemia Fund – and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit, UCLH charities, after Lucy was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma a year ago.

She said: “When Lucy was having treatment we walked from Exmouth to Sidmouth to raise money for cancer research. She came back to work at the end of October and is doing amazingly well.”

Lucy, webbing planner at Woodbury Park, feels well enough to join the walkers.

She said: “After 12 sessions of chemotherapy and plenty of fighting spirit, I am currently in remission. I would not have got through this battle without the tremendous support of my family, friends and employers.

“It’s now time for me to give something back, not only to the units where I was treated, but also to help others who are currently suffering from this dreadful illness.”

The walkers chose St Austell as their starting point because St Austell Brewery is sponsoring them. The hotel’s general manager, Joe Hammond, will drive a support minibus, loaned by Thrifty and other backers are behind a buffet and charity auction at the hotel on Friday, March 23.

Now, says Jaime, a sponsor is needed to pay for T-shirts and jumpers for them to wear on their walk. Call 01395 232970 if you can help.

They also have a website for donations at www.virginmoneygiving.com/LucysGirlsWalktheWalk and you can follow the girls on their walk on Facebook and Twitter.

“We all want to give something back for Lucy. We didn’t know she would be well enough to do the walk with us and that’s fantastic,” said Jaime. “It’s going to be a great laugh.”

*Tickets for the buffet and auction are available by calling 01395 232998. Ten pounds of the �20 a ticket charge will go to charity.