AN ANNUAL Dorset charity walk has been renamed the Non-Dorset Walk this year to encourage people from all over the world to take part and raise money from their local area.

The Malcolm Whales Foundation has run the walk from Weymouth seafront to Studland, a distance of 40 miles, each year since 2009 and usually takes a large number of students from schools across the country down to Dorset to complete the challenge.

However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the schools have pulled out of the event and the charity has had to modify the walk to make it more accessible for people in their own back gardens.

Damien Whales, who founded the charity in memory of his father who passed away after suffering from bowel cancer, said: “It’s been challenging this year because the walk itself is a kind of school trip, largely with kids from Cambridgeshire, and we travel down to Dorset each year and walk along the Jurassic Coast.

“A big part of the thrill for students is camping so we decided we would try and do the Non-Dorset Walk to encourage people to camp in their own back gardens.

“I am hoping that by the time the walk is due to take place on July 10-12, social distancing will have opened up enough so that students can walk together and it will be more of a social thing.”

The charity already had the dates booked for the Dorset Walk and are hoping to stick to July 12 as the last day of the challenge, however, participants can complete the 40 miles in as many days as they need to.

Before the lockdown, 400 people had planned on taking part in the event which would have raised roughly £50,000. The number of people has now reduced to 150 but the charity is hopeful that more people will sign up nearer the time.

Damien Whales said: “We’ve got people signed up across the country and then some in Abu Dhabi and people interested in New Zealand, Australia and Canada so it has become a world-wide event.”

“I’m expecting a surge of sign-ups as the guidance on social distancing clarifies itself nearer the time but I hope that on that Sunday July 12 there are 500 plus people across the world walking virtually together.”

The Malcolm Whales Foundation has chosen to donate £1 per person walking in the event to the charities the Mintridge Foundation, Myeloma UK and After Umbrage as well as £50 to other charities that were nominated by participants.

Everything else is going towards the NHS to support cancer wards local to people who have signed up to the event across the country.

Damien Whales added: “Our goal remains unchanged: to support cancer related causes and to provide positive experiences.”

You can sign up to participate at https://tmwf.co.uk/events/dorset-walk/non-dorset-walk/.