The Softcat News Team
A team from Softcat’s South Coast office, including Dominic Powell, Marcus Dancer, Adam Englehart, Elliott Gray, Becky Moore, Rob Coleman, Dani West, Frank Barnard, Chandler Long, and Shannon West, embarked on a trek across the South Downs Way to raise funds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT). The extraordinary challenge involved walking 100 miles within 48 hours, starting at first light on Friday, 6 September 2024, from Eastbourne and aiming to reach Winchester by the evening of Saturday, 7 September 2024.
The South Downs Way is a 100-mile national trail featuring over 4000m of elevation, offering quintessential English countryside views across Hampshire and Sussex. The initiative was part of GWT's 'Trailwalker' challenge, which typically covers 63 miles. This year however, the team decided to extend the challenge to the full 100 miles for a more significant fundraiser, and to date have raised over £3,800. All donations will be going directly to GWT's work, which includes providing medical care, financial aid, education, and community development for Gurkha veterans and their families. The Gurkhas, renowned soldiers from Nepal, have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years, and GWT works tirelessly to improve their lives and those of their families.
Sarah Carpenter, one of the support crew members, gives a candid and personal account of the challenge:
“On Friday 6 September, a group of eight brave souls from our South Coast office embarked on an epic 100-mile endurance walk along the South Downs Way for charity. These intrepid adventurers set off at 4am from Beachy Head, finally reaching the finish line in Winchester at 9pm on Saturday; over 40 hours of walking, and more than 200,000 steps each.
Despite facing 24 hours of relentless rain, navigating through pitch-black hills with only headtorches, creeping past wild animals, enduring sore muscles and blistered feet, the team were in high spirits. There were plenty of laughs, some stories that will forever remain on the walk, and a lot of emotional tears as they pushed through to the end. Thankfully, the support crews were on hand at the finishing line with food, first aid, and much-needed care.
The love and support from the South Coast Softcat office and beyond has been overwhelming. Some family members showed up at all daytime checkpoints, and others popped up at various locations along the route to boost morale.
The finish line was an emotional scene: the walkers were greeted by the support crew, family, friends, and the Gurkha Welfare Trust, who presented them each with a Khata, a Tibetan scarf symbolising a celebratory arrival.
The team may be nursing tired feet this week but it’s a small price to pay for the overwhelming sense of achievement and pride.
Events like this aren’t possible without our sponsors and so we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to APC by Schneider Electric to whom we are enormously grateful for enabling us to hire the support vehicle, fund the pre-walk hostel, kit and food. We’d also like to thank our wonderful local coffee shop, Trenchers for generously providing cups, lids, plates, cutlery and serviettes for meal breaks.”
Sarah Carpenter, Service Delivery Manager at South Coast office