Celebrity Face Joins Isle Of Wight Walking Festival Fundraising Trek

The Isle of Wight Autumn Walking Festival is well underway – and Sunday (08 October)  saw one group of walkers welcome a celebrity, who seems to be a big fan of the Walking Festival.

BBC’s Children In Need mascot Pudsey the Bear joined volunteer walk leader Linda Jones and her fellow walkers as they prepared to take on a route over Headon Warren in Freshwater, across to the Needles and up Tennyson Down.

Volunteer walk leaders for the Isle of Wight Walking Festival, which started on Saturday and runs until Sunday 15 October, often raise money by asking participants to make a donation to their chosen charity.

Linda, a member of the Isle of Wight Ramblers, said:

‘The Ramblers were encouraged to promote fundraising for Children in Need.

"I have previously organised fundraising with Wight Satin Barbershop Chorus some years ago and we were invited to the BBC studios in Basingstoke on that occasion which was wonderful.

"Children in Need is such a worthy cause to support."

It is estimated that around £75 was raised by walkers for BBC’s Children In Need.

There are some walks with a few spaces available, including a fascinating walk to learn about the history of Fort Victoria, at 0.5 miles, one of the shortest on the Isle of Wight Walking Festival calendar on Thursday 12 October.

Friday 13 October will see a 4.5 mile anecdotal walk to visit the Afton site of the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, returning to Dimbola Museum to view the permanent Festival exhibition – donations can be made to Dimbola Museum at the end of the walk.

In 2024, the Isle of Wight Walking Festival celebrates it’s 25th anniversary.