COMMUNITY sports group Winchester Fit for the Future has joined forces with the Chandler’s Ford and Itchen Valley Rotary Club, to help local sports clubs raise money.

Fundraisers will be sponsored to walk seven miles from Bar End, Winchester, to the Fryern Recreation Ground in Chandler’s Ford on Sunday June 1.

The Itchen Walk is the first of its kind to be organised by Rotary.

Lionel Jones, a trustee of Winchester City Penguins Swimming Club, said: “Many community sports clubs in the Winchester and Chandler’s Ford area struggle to access appropriate facilities and it’s becoming a major problem for us. There are around 400 people on WCPSC’s waiting list now. We’ve got to raise money to build new facilities, to give sport a future in this area.”

Emma Back, voluntary director of Winchester Fit for the Future, said: “The Itchen Walk is a great community fundraising initiative. It’ll also help us to demonstrate how accessible new sports facilities at Bar End would be, as we’ll be walking from there, through Compton, Shawford and Otterbourne, and on to Chandlers Ford.”

Eddie Owusu, Winchester District Coach of the Year, who plays and coaches at Winchester City Basketball Club, said: “It’s so easy to walk or cycle to Bar End now from Twyford, where I live, thanks to the restoration of the Itchen path and the new cycle route using the Hockley Viaduct.

Alongside sports clubs, many people supporting local charities and community groups have already signed up for the walk, with causes including Chandler’s Ford Scouts, Chandler’s Ford Guides, Winchester District Citizens Advice Bureau, Kieran Keel Bursary, Cancer Research UK, RSPCA, Eastleigh Mayor’s Charity, Arthritis Research, NSPCC, Southampton Hospital Radio, British Kidney Patient Association, and Wessex Cancer Trust.

Graham Johns, president of Chandler’s Ford and Itchen Valley Rotary said: “It’s great to have so much support for the inaugural Itchen Walk – from local clubs, charities, ASDA, and also King Alfred Buses who will provide transport on the day. It’s about local people coming together to raise funds for local causes.”

Places on the walk are still available, and details of how to sign up and get sponsored are at www.itchenwalk.org. The walk will be fully supervised, with the Red Cross providing medical support. Children – and dogs! – are welcome.