"Truly wonderful!" Walk the Wight raises record-breaking total for Mountbatten

The popular Walk the Wight 2024 event has raised a record-breaking sum for the Isle of Wight charity Mountbatten.

Ten days after 9,500 people joined together for the annual iconic walk, Mountbatten has confirmed fundraising efforts have raised a landmark figure of £500,000.

Speaking during a thank you evening for volunteers and sponsors this week, Mountbatten CEO Nigel Hartley said it was an ‘extraordinary achievement’, though warned against complacency.

See message from Mountbatten below

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“It feels very emotional to say we have reached half a million pounds,” he said.

“We knew topping last year would be a big ask, but our incredible community has got behind us and achieved something very special.

“£500,000 is a remarkable figure, and the money is absolutely vital in helping us to maintain our services at the current level.”

Mountbatten is now supporting over 2,200 people living at home across the Island, plus hundreds at the hospice every day, with demand for its services continuing to grow.

Nigel added that the funding Mountbatten receives from the NHS is around a third of the overall £10.5 million the charity needs to find every year, making fundraising efforts at events like Walk the Wight so vital for its services.

Walk the Wight marshals at the IW College's park and ride service, supplied by Island charity, MAD-Aid (Image: Kate Couch)

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Nigel explained: “The wider health system is really struggling, and we are feeling the impact of that with less funding coming through.

“While this is a truly wonderful, extraordinary achievement, we have to keep going and finding ways of raising more money to fill the gaps.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved in this year’s Walk the Wight.

“We are so very lucky to have a community who understands Mountbatten and the importance of our work.

“On behalf of everyone at Mountbatten, thank you.”