Faslane workers headed to Cumbria to take part in this year’s Keswick to Barrow Walk.
The event challenges participants to cover the 40 miles between the two towns in just one day and some 18 staff from HM Naval Base Clyde took part to raise funds for charities.
Taking part for the first time were the base’s Warrant Officer 1 Hughie Welsh and Chief Petty Officer Steve Irvine, both from the operational manpower cell at Clyde.
Hughie said: “I have always enjoyed a challenge and the fact that there were so many different departments form across the base pulling together for various good causes made the blisters worthwhile.”
Those taking part included Royal Navy personnel, Royal Marines, MoD employees, staff from Lockheed Martin UK Strategic Systems, SERCO, Babcock and HMS Neptune Volunteer Band. Together they raised £4,700, with donations still coming in.
One of the event’s corporate sponsors, Lockheed Martin UK Strategic Systems’ head of assurance James Richards, said: “I had the easy job this year of standing at the finishing line to present medals to many of the 2,500 competitors.
“I was particularly delighted to welcome home the Clyde team when they made it back to Barrow.”
The Keswick to Barrow Walk began in 1966 following a statement by the then US President John F. Kennedy that “every American should be capable of walking 50 miles a day”.
At that time HMS Resolution was under construction at the Barrow shipyard and several Americans were involved in the project.
Shipyard workers and the crew of HMS Resolution were challenged by their colleagues to form a team to walk from Keswick to Barrow with the first event held on April 1, 1967.
This year the charities benefiting from the Clyde team’s efforts included the Beatson Cancer Charity, the RNLI, Erskine, the Stroke Association, Arthritis Research UK, Parkinson’s UK, Combat Stress and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
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