Walk 49 - Jon Walker Memorial Walk: Remembering Loved-ones Lost

Jon Walker
Jon Walker

  • DATE: Friday 29 September 2023

  • TIME: 17.30 

  • START LOCATIONS: The Townhouse; The Harrow; or Queen’s Head, Sheet 

  • DISTANCE: 3.8 miles

  • DURATION: Approx 3 hours (welcome to leave when you want)

DONATE HERE

Come and join a community fundraising walk in aid of the Rosemary Foundation, Petersfield’s much-respected hospice at home charity.

The inspiration for this walk has come from Jon Walker, the Petersfield Post’s long-serving Chief Reporter and community man, who sadly lost a short, intense battle with cancer earlier this year.

We have chosen Friday 29 September because it is the date of the UK’s Big Coffee Morning in aid of MacMillan. However, all money raised from the walk will go to the Rosemary Foundation, who supported Jon & his family as well as many others in our community over the years.

While advertised through the walking festival programme, the Jon Walker Memorial Walk has been organised by a number of local people, organisations & businesses, who have all come together, with the support of Jon’s family, to raise funds for this important local charity.

Please come and join us on the 29th to walk in memory of all our loved-ones lost to cancer.

The walk will involve 3 groups walking clockwise, simultaneously from different start locations around the town. The starting points are all pubs where Jon could be found enjoying a pint and picking up a local story: the Townhouse, Harrow and Queen’s Head in Sheet.

The 3 walking groups will start at the same time, each completing the circuit in a different order, so as to spread out our numbers/trade. The walk options are:

  1. Meet at Townhouse, walk to Harrow, Queen’s Head & return back to the TH;
  2. Meet at Harrow, walk to Queen’s Head to Townhouse & return back to Harrow; or
  3. Meet at Queen’s Head, walk to Townhouse, Harrow & return back to Q. Head.

We will stop at each pub along the route for about 30 mins before continuing on our way. The aim is to be back at our starting pub around nightfall (no later than 8.30pm) so that walkers can order food, if they wish.

The Queen’s Head will be putting on a special beer for Jon, with a donation from takings being given to the Rosemary Foundation, and the Townhouse are offering walkers free tea and coffee.

For insurance reasons, walkers need to sign up to one of the three led walks. Sign up is free but we ask that you either make an online donation to the Rosemary Foundation (using the buttons above/below) or bring cash on the night. We are recommending a donation of £5 per person but appreciate that people’s circumstances might mean they can afford more/less. 

 
Not free on Friday 29th? 
If you can’t join us on the 29th or all the places on the walk have been booked, then why not walk with us in spirit if not in person. You could do your own walk (and perhaps tag us on social media @petersfieldwalkingfestival) or walk the memorial walk route at a time that suits you. Details of the route (map and instructions) will be available in the Petersfield Post. Please do consider still making a donation to the Rosemary Foundation, thank you 🙏🏻
 

This community event has been made possible thanks to support from Jon’s family, The Townhouse, Harrow and Queen’s Head, Petersfield Post, Shine Radio, Petersfield Society, Petersfield Walking Festival & Petersfield Rugby Club.

Walk Key

Please look at the festival website ‘Information’ page to understand the walk key, what to wear, advice on medical information, weather plans, arriving before the scheduled departure time etc before deciding if you would like to join this walk.

Walk Pace

Gentle

Walk Grade

Mainly flat walking, on paths with good surfaces

Dogs Allowed

BOOK WALK STARTING FROM THE TOWNHOUSE
BOOK WALK STARTING FROM THE HARROW
BOOK WALK STARTING FROM THE QUEEN'S HEAD
DONATE HERE

Walk Leaders

The Townhouse Walk will be led by Beth Svarovska. Beth kept Jon updated with stories about aspects of town life important to her. This includes the small business community – she runs her own small business as a Pilates teacher & also founded Petersfield Small Business Fairs, & co-hosts the First Friday business network. As a Trustee of Petersfield Society she founded the Clean Ups for Remembrance & has run at least two full-scale clean ups of the town & villages since 2016. In her spare time she plays netball for Petersfield Pearls & cricket for Petersfield. Beth is being joined by the team from Shine Radio’s P-Pod.

The walk from the Queen’s Head will be led by Malinka, who is one of the organisers of the Walking Festival. She will be accompanied by Jon’s son Adam. Jon kindly helped brainstorm the idea of a town walking festival & led a pub walk (naturally!) for last summer’s festival. Malinka also writes for the Petersfield Post.

 

 

The walk from the Harrow will be led by Jenny Broadhead. Much like Jon, Jenny is a Petersfield stalwart, having lived in the town & walked around the area for 42 years. Together with her husband she was also a founder member of Liss Runners, an active campaigner for National Park status and fundraiser for MacMillan. Jenny will be joined by Colin Channon, Regional Editor for the Tindle Group of Newspapers & Lynne Burge, Chair of Petersfield Ramblers, who regularly contribute to The Post.