Generous walkers help raise thousands of pounds during Walk of Roses
Generous residents from across Lancashire and Yorkshire dug deep in their pockets to help raise a record amount of money during Meningitis UK's marathon charity walk.
The eight-day Walk of Roses set off from Blackpool on Saturday, May 3 and more than 160 supporters shook collection tins and buckets for the charity before it ended in Bridlington a week later.
The charity hoped to raise £20,000 during the marathon fundraiser - but smashed their target by £8,000 with collections and sponsorship pledges.
Steve Dayman, Chief Executive of Meningitis UK who lost his son to meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in 1982, walked the entire route.
He said: "This is a fantastic amount and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported us, either by taking part in a stage of the walk or by sponsoring a friend or colleague.
"Meningitis is devastating and causes so much pain and suffering and this support enables us to make a significant contribution to vaccine development. If we all work together we can find the vaccine we so desperately need and eradicate this disease so others don't have to suffer the heartache and agony of losing a loved one."
Although successful vaccines exist to protect against some forms of meningitis, there is still no vaccine available to protect against all strains, including the most common in the UK - meningococcal group B. This causes both meningitis and septicaemia and accounts for almost 90 per cent of all cases.
Last year the charity launched its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, which aims to raise £7million over the next seven years to help fund research into developing a vaccine against Meningitis B.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
