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Bridge the Gap

This September, you are invited to take a stroll around the gardens of some of the stunning University Colleges in Cambridge.

Bridge the Gap charity walk is returning on the morning of Sunday 15 September 2024

Join us on this specially designed 3.5 mile route where you will get a close up view of the City, meander through the beautifully manicured gardens of six University Colleges, all whilst raising funds for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill.

River and punts

This years Bridge the Gap route will be visiting six of the University of Cambridge’s Colleges Christs, St Johns, Lucy Cavendish, Westminster, Jesus and Emmanuel. This is also the first year that Westminster has featured on the Bridge the Gap route. 

We are very grateful to all the college involved for allowing us special access through their grounds.

People walking to a large building along a garden path

Your Support

So far over £21,000 has been raised from registrations this year, with more than 1,350 walkers taking part. The total is expected to increase in the coming weeks once all donations and sponsorships have been included.

The two charity partners, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill, offer essential support and care to people throughout Cambridgeshire.

Sponsors 

Various coloured logos

Thank you to Sponsors The Cambridge Building Society, which has been headline sponsor for the last 16 years, alongside TTP GroupCambridge University Press and Assessment, and Cambridge City Rotary Club and to the Co-op, Cambridge Independent and Cambridge 105 Radio who were event partners.

Event Partners 

Green logo

You can listen to Carolyn Start, Head of Fundraising at Arthur Rank Hospice, on Radio 105 HERE, where she explains more about the walk.

The History

Bridge the Gap event has taken place every year since 2001, welcoming more than 40,000 people who have helped to raise over £630,000 for local charities. 

Group of people in a line walking near bridge

You can read more about Bridge the Gap 2023 HERE. 

It's wonderful seeing parts of Cambridge you don't normally see - even as a resident

Bridge the Gap participant

Contact

Email: fundraising@arhc.org.uk

Or call: 01223 675888

FAQs

How long is the route and is it a race?

The route is around three miles, and is definitely not a race!

We invite you to take in the opportunity to visit different college grounds which are not always open to the public. It’ll stay very central to the city, so it’ll be easy to make use of local cafes along the way.

Standard registrations are £20 per adult and are available to book until 23.59 on 14th September.

You can also register on the day for £22.50 per adult.

Up to three under 16s go free with every registered paying adult, but don’t forget you can book a Treasure Hunt for them to enjoy for just £3 per child.

Due to the nature of the event, we can only welcome assistance dogs.

All the proceeds from the event are split equally between Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill

We are so grateful for the support of everyone who takes part. Funds are raised through entry fees and generous donations made during registration. All participants have the option to get additional sponsorship to take part in the walk, using the online sponsorship platform Enthuse. If you would like further information or support on this please email the fundraising team fundraising@arhc.org.uk

We’re delighted to have the privilege of accessing six beautiful and distinctive colleges: Christ, St Johns, Lucy Cavendish, Westminster, Jesus and Emmanuel.

We are grateful to the Colleges and their teams of Porters for generously granting us access, and for their enthusiastic support of the event.

We’ve worked with these Colleges to create interesting and varied routes through them – please follow the directions of marshals and don’t stray from the route or attempt to enter/exit at points other than those shown on the map.

Please bring proof of your registration, either on a device or printed.

In our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we won’t be offering water bottles this year. Please bring your own (filled) reusable water bottles. 

It’s advisable to be prepared for hot weather (hats and suncream) and rain (raincoats and umbrellas) as we’ll carry on, whatever the weather!

You might like to bring a picnic blanket to enjoy the entertainment on Parker’s Piece more comfortably.

Bridge the Gap couldn’t run without the amazing support from our volunteers and we are always looking for further support. 

If you’d like to help at this years event, we’d love to hear from you. A full briefing is given so no past experience needed.

Please email us at events@arhc.org.uk

The two charity partners, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill, offer essential support and care to people throughout Cambridgeshire.

Are you a UK taxpayer? Your donation can help us to raise even more vital funds for our services, at no extra cost to you. 

Please see more here: arhc.org.uk/donate/gift-aid-form/

If you feel that you are unable to take part in the walk this year but still want to be there to show your support, you can put yourself forward as a volunteer by emailing fundraising@arhc.org.uk.

We need everything from marshals to cake bakers, registration helpers to refreshments servers. If you think you can help us, do reach out – we’d love to have you! 

  • We take responsibility to care for the environment seriously, so we ask you to car share, use the buses or cycle wherever possible to our events.
  • Because of our commitment to the environment, we’re moving away from selling single-use items and ordering things from overseas. We will continue to sell items we already had in stock from previous events.
  • We ask you to bring your own reusable water bottle to our events– we can supply water, but do not have a stock of bottles at the events – but you can buy these from any of our shops.

You can find out more about how environmental sustainability is very important to the Charity, and why the Charity’s five-year strategy is working towards a net zero carbon approach here: arhc.org.uk/about-us/our-organisation/our-green-ways

The first wave will set off at 9:30am, then 10:00am and the final one at 10:30am. You can take your time to look around the Colleges. Each College will close once the last participant passes through and the events on Parkers Piece will close at 2:00pm. 

Clinical Staff at Arthur Rank Hospice holding a Thank you sign

Thank you

Your support helps to continue supporting people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end of life care, thank you. 

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