On Wednesday 19 April, 98 team members from across Fuller’s, and Special Olympics GB, walked 21 miles between two Fuller’s pubs – The Swan in Staines and One Over the Ait in Brentford – raising money for its charity partner, Special Olympics GB. The Bridge Walk raised £20,000 – to help fund regular sporting opportunities that can transform the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities across England, Scotland and Wales.
The walkers, comprising colleagues from Fuller’s pubs and hotels and its support centre, along with Special Olympics GB team members and athletes, set off from The Swan first thing in the morning. Their first stop was the Shepperton ferry – where they crossed the river on the ferry a handful at a time. From there, they walked to The Anglers in Teddington where the pub team provided a much-needed lunch from its outdoor pizza oven. The group then set off on the next leg – a short three mile walk to The Prince’s Head in Richmond. Then finally on to the last part of the walk, along the tow path by Kew Gardens to One Over the Ait. The full walk was 21 miles and took around nine hours to complete.
Simon Emeny, Fuller’s Chief Executive who took part in the walk, said: “The Bridge Walk was a brilliant day spent with colleagues and our friends from Special Olympics GB – while raising money for a fantastic cause. The first Bridge Walk was held in 2022 and, after the success of this year’s, I’m looking forward to it again in 2024. It was great to see so many of the Fuller’s family coming together to support a cause that’s close to our hearts.
“Our partnership with Special Olympics GB started in 2018 and, since then, our teams have been really engaged in raising money and awareness for the charity. We were also joined by some of the Special Olympics GB athletes for the walk – some of whom are off to compete in the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin in June. It was a great chance for us to wish them all the best of luck.”
Colin Dyer, Special Olympics GB CEO, said: “A big thank you to Fuller’s for, yet again, organising a great day and raising much-needed funds for Special Olympics GB.
“Since the beginning of our partnership in 2018, Fuller’s support has allowed Special Olympics GB to deliver our work for more than 6,500 athletes at 95 all-ability, inclusive sports clubs – covering 27 sports across England, Scotland and Wales. This provides nearly 13,000 regular, hour-long sporting sessions per year, all delivered by a team of more than 3,800 volunteers. We’re looking forward to continuing our close work with Fuller’s as our partnership grows – it’s always fun and rewarding working with Fuller’s.”
Special Olympics GB is taking a team of 82 athletes to the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games in June. The event will see more than 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities, from around the world competing in 26 sports over nine days of competition.
