Local sight loss charity, Galloway’s, had to cancel its flagship fundraising event this weekend, the Morecambe Bay Walk, at a potential cost to the charity of £20,000.

Galloway’s Society for the Blind has held an annual Morecambe Bay Walk, to raise money for local people living with sight loss, every year for the past 25 years. In the 25-years that Galloway’s has been doing the walk, the total raised from doing so is in excess of £500,000.

This weekend, the charity had over 500 people booked to take part in the two walks but at the eleventh hour, late on Friday afternoon, the event had to be cancelled as no safe route across the Bay could be found.

While the weather in the Bay over the weekend was glorious, the rainfall in the week preceding the event was so bad that the high waters in the Bay left Cedric Robinson MBE, Queens Guide to the Sands, and leader of the Galloway’s walks, unable to find a route across the sands that he was happy was safe to be used.

So, on Friday evening, when otherwise the Galloway’s team would have been on their way up to Arnside, making the final preparations for Saturday and Sunday’s walks that they have been working on for the past 3 months. The team instead were in the Galloway’s offices, on the phones, texts, emails and social media, ensuring that all who were booked on the event knew that it had unfortunately had to be cancelled. Staff working on Friday evening commented on how fantastic and understanding walkers had been about the sad news.

Stuart Clayton, Chief Executive of Galloway’s said “To say we are devastated is an understatement. In this, our 150th Birthday year, we had high hopes for the Cross Bay Walk. The Morecambe Bay Walk is our biggest fundraiser of the year and it not taking place leaves us with a hole to fill, somewhere in the region of £20,000 – our expected income from the event. We had over 500 walkers physically booked on the event, and usually get a further 50-100 who join us on the day. Our whole team is genuinely gutted.”

Cedric Robinson MBE, Queens Guide to the Sands, has been leading people across Morecambe Bay since taking up the Guide role in 1963, and has been guiding Galloway’s and its walkers across Morecambe Bay for the 25 years the Galloway’s has been doing the walk. This is only the second occasion it has had to be cancelled in those 25 years.

Cedric Robinson said “I am acutely aware how much Galloway’s relies on the income from the Cross Bay Walk. I am also really proud of the amount we've managed to raise together for Galloway’s over the years. But safety absolutely has to come first. With all the rain we had in the last week, the water level in the Sands was higher than we were expecting it to be. On Friday afternoon, I could not find a route I was happy with and had to make the call to Galloway’s to give them the sad news. I am doing all I can to find an alternate date, but the Galloway’s walk is so popular, I’m struggling finding a time when the tides are suitable and I can fit 500+ people in!”

The walk was sponsored by Preston-based architects, Frank Whittle Partnership (FWP) who have been long-term supporters of Galloway’s. A spokesperson from FWP commented, “FWP have supported Galloway’s for many years, both with the redevelopment of the Morecambe Building and in sponsoring the Morecambe Bay Walk. We’re honoured to support the charity’s flagship event and it’s something the FWP team enjoy taking part in every year. We’re devastated that Galloway’s stand to lose out on £20,000 from the cancelation of their Morecambe Bay Walk after they’d spent the last three months working so hard on it, but absolutely understand the safety of walkers has to come first and respect Cedric’s decision for both walks not to go ahead.”

Anyone wanting to make a donation in lieu of the walks taking place should go to http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/fun...owaysMBWAppeal

Anyone wanting further information on the Galloway’s Morecambe Bay Walk, and any potential future date, should call Emma Russ on 01772 744148 or email emma.russ@galloways.org.uk