Well, it's only 16 days ago that we discussed the possibility of doing this mad thing. In that time we've attracted about 30 runners/walkers, set up the webpage for giving, made this blog (however poor the quality!!!). We've got good financial backing from work and our webpage has attracted almost £400. Not bad.

In those 16 days, we have not had a single dry day. The weather has been dreadful. As a result, no training has been done, but would we be training for the wrong challenge? I am swimming later today. Maybe that's more relvant fro what lies ahead on June 10th?

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VXWinchester

So, payday has arrived and we're battling with a number of charity events. We've tried to spread the word today...what with it being PAYDAY, but my poor chum, and fellow walker Smooth Steve Owen is trying to raise money for an event in just 2 weeks time. Our walk is 44 days away. Maybe we should support Steve, by which time we'll still have over 4 weeks to raise cash? It's a dilemna... I say we should all give Steve-O a fiver for his Charity Raffle, then bombard our frineds and social network sites with the following loink, in hope that we can raise a small fortune for some very needy and grateful souls...after all, Steve is supporting us too. Thankfully Steve's fundraising is not online, so please paste the link to your Facebook/Myspace/Twitter etc...

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VXWinchester

P.S. Training is still at zero, maybe the first exercise taken will be playing in Steve's footie tournament, in aid of Unicef, in Birmingham, May 12th.

6 weeks, 5 days to go...and only a few of our ever rising numbers look even halfway fit! However, I'm sure we'll all help one another across the Hampshire and Wiltshire terrain.

Today we have added Ann Dix and Paul & Karen Harding to our numbers. Brilliant. We're now touching 30, with more expected to join us.

So, plenty of voluteers to walk, now all we need is cash, so tell all your friends and help us raise some serious cash for a seriously worthy cause:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VXWinchester

Manflu hampers blogging....

Much progress made today, but manflu has taken it's toll. Suffice to say my niggling illness has been upstaged by our latest recruits. Stand up and take a bow, the following newly recruited Superdudes of Team VXWinchester:

Maddie New
Wayne New
Jill Finden
Ann Banks

Thank you all so much. Let's hope is adds to our medal haul on the cash front!

Hey people, we have pictures now.



Sue Munro and I have attended Naomi House today, though sadly we couldn't see all of the facilities, as they were suffering a virus in the main site. What we did see was phenominal. The fascilities were incredible. It made us realise that this wonderful charity has thought of and catered for every eventuality for not only the poor young people who's lives will not continue, but, maybe more importantly, those who care for them, those whose lives will go on...The level of care is fantastic and incredibly humbling. It's fair to say that our perceptions of hospice care had only scratched the surface. The service provided by the Charity is so much more.



The one plus side of the partial closure today is that we can go back another day and take with us, some of the fantastic people who make up Team VXWinchester.

No puns today, no joking at our team members. Somehow it doesn't seem right. But rest assured, the dreadful humour will be back and we will have a laugh in reaching our goal, but a visit to a hospice put's day to day moans into perspective. Off to train....

Only 52 days to go and tomorrow, Sue Munro and I are going to visit Naomi House, the Hospice we are supporting. We are to get a guided tour and I'm certain it will be a very humbling experience. We will also get the first batch of event t-shirts, so I'm sure we will arrive back at work with a real sence of determination to do our utmost and help improve the lives of the poorly children and equally importantly, their families.

On a lighter note, we'll also have our first pics to grace the fundraising page and to start plastering on Facebook friends profiles....you have been warned.

However, the main purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of our cause and the good people contributing towards it. On that basis, the first person of mention has to be Jake Pemberton. When we raised the idea a week ago, we encouraged friends and family to join us. Little did we expect the whole family to attempt 26 miles, but that's what Jake's doing...all 6 of them!

Well done and thank you to Jake. Keep it up and let's hope others manage to follow suit.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VXWinchester

More tomorrow....

Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your spare dosh, for a very worthy cause.


This is the first blog for Team VX Winchester. We are a hearty bunch of liquorice allsorts, most of whom work together. Now it's time to fight together too. We are joined/supported by our friends and family, in our quest to raise money for our local childrens hospice, Naomi House.


In this, our first adventure, we aim to get a good portion of the workforce, plus friends and family, to complete a Marathon. Many of our number can't even walk 100 yards to get lunch (can they Gemma!!!), so this really will be quite an achievement.


Please follow our updates on who's joined in, who's doing double training, who's trying to get out of it   and who's likely to be the bookies favourites!!!


Join us and sponsor us at:


http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VXWinchester


more to follow....should be a good laugh too, or else....