The Forever Friends Appeal is delighted to announce this year’s Walk of Life event has raised over £100,000 and will go towards benefiting patients and their families at the Royal United Hospitals Bath.

The sponsored canal walk took place in May and on the day 425 people walked along the Kennet and Avon canal towpath, covering an impressive 7,500 miles. This significant amount will be divided between the Appeal’s RUH Cancer Care Campaign, the new RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre and many of the hospital’s wards and department.

Laura Pearce, Events and Community Officer, The Forever Friends Appeal said: “We would like to thank everyone who took part and to those who kindly sponsored our walkers.

“Many people chose to take to either walk in memory of loved ones, show their support for someone receiving treatment at the hospital or to simply take on the challenge.

“We are now inviting people to sign up for next year’s Walk of Life on our website. We have also introduced a new morning walk as part of the event, so people have more choice; and you can either sign up as an individual or as a team, making every step count for patients and their families at the RUH.”

The three walking distances available next year are:

• Marathon walk – 26.2 miles start at Bishops Cannings (near Devizes) – Bradford on Avon – Bath

• A new morning walk –16 miles: start at Bishops Cannings (near Devizes) to Bradford on Avon.

• Afternoon walk –10 miles, start at Bradford on Avon and finishing in Bath.

To register for next year’s Walk of Life visit the events page on the Appeal’s website or for more information, call the events fundraising team on: 01225 821535.

The first Walk of Life took place in 2006. It was created with, and in memory of, Vanessa Kyte, who passed away in 2007.

To date, the event has raised over half a million pounds for the hospital.