Mayor's walk - beating the bounds

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join him and or sponsor his 20 mile walk on 13th May 2007

The Mayor of Wandsworth, Cllr Jim Maddan (pictured right), is inviting local people to join him on the riverside leg of his walk of the borough boundaries in May.

The 'beating the bounds' walk will take place on Sunday May 13 starting at 10am from the ASDA store in Roehampton Vale to raise funds for the disability charity Leonard Cheshire.

The full 20-mile route will include all the borough's main boundaries - taking him through Roehampton, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea, Balham, Tooting, Southfields and Wimbledon Parkside.

The Mayor is encouraging supporters to accompany him on the four-mile riverside stretch from Putney Embankment to Battersea Park. You can take a look at the Council online guide to the Riverside Walk.

Cllr Maddan said:

"Beating the bounds is an old custom which reminds the community of the exact location of their local parish boundaries. Along the route I hope to get the chance to meet and talk with people from all parts of the borough. 

Wandsworth is such a diverse community with thousands of new residents moving in every year. For people who are new to the borough and others who have lived here all their life the message is simple – everyone belongs."

"I will also be raising money for my Mayoral charity Leonard Cheshire. I am urging as many people as possible to join me on the riverside section of the walk. This provides a largely traffic-free route with plenty of opportunities for stops along the way to take refreshments and enjoy the riverside environment. The council's sports development team will also play a big part encouraging people to walk the river with me. It will be a fun atmosphere and a great opportunity to take some exercise."

William Gallagher, service manager at Leonard Cheshire's Randall Close, said:

"It is fantastic that a public figure like the Mayor is prepared to give his time to raise funds for us. Anyone who would like to go along and support him would be most welcome. It promises to be a great day."

The riverside leg starts from Leaders Gardens, Putney Embankment at 11am on May 13 and concludes at Chelsea Bridge, Battersea Park.

Sponsors include Physio4Life, the Putney-based physiotherapy and sports clinic, which  is helping the Mayor train for the big day.

The council's sports development team works closely with schools and also with groups who do not traditionally participate in sport or physical activity including people over 50 and those with disabilities. It develops programmes for young people, women and ethnic minorities.

Leonard Cheshire exists to change attitudes to disability and to serve disabled people around the world. It has been supporting disabled people for almost 60 years and is active in 52 countries. The charity directly supports over 21,000 disabled people in the UK, is a leading provider of disability support services, and campaigns on the rights of disabled people. The Leonard Cheshire service at Randall Close, Battersea, is the Mayor of Wandsworth's chosen charity. For more information visit www.leonard-cheshire.org.

May 4, 2007