Women over the moon at Roman help

May 2 2008 by Jo Henwood, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER’S Roman soldiers will light the way on a charity walk.

Dressed in armour and carrying torches, the soldiers will officially start the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Moonlight Walk on Saturday, June 21.

They will then act as marshals and cheer participants on during the 13-mile trek to raise funds for Relative Comfort – the new Critical Care Appeal which provides accommodation for relatives of patients on the Critical Care Unit.

The women-only Moonlight Walk takes place at midnight. Two previous walks have raised a combined total of more than £200,000 for hospital appeals.

Brutus, aka Ian Edge, said: “We at Roman Tours are absolutely delighted to be supporting such a worthy cause and would like to thank the team for giving us the opportunity to go out with 800 women on a Saturday night.”

Hospital fundraising manager Kate Taylor added: “We’re always looking for new ways to attract women to sign up for the walk, so hopefully the prospect of being escorted around by a large group of soldiers will appeal to everyone.”

To sign up for the walk contact Kathy Chalk on 01244 366397 or download the registration form from www.coch.org. Forms can also be collected at the hospital’s fundraising office near the main entrance.