THE business community of Huntingdonshire put its best feet forward recently to help raise nearly £64,000 for charity. Teams of walkers from 25 firms took part in a 50K challenge, which aimed to raise £50,000. Some 119 people walked 50km through the east

THE business community of Huntingdonshire put its best feet forward recently to help raise nearly £64,000 for charity.

Teams of walkers from 25 firms took part in a 50K challenge, which aimed to raise £50,000.

Some 119 people walked 50km through the east Cambridgeshire countryside in a day to support of the Saxongate Community Learning Centre in Huntingdon.

There was also a competitive edge to the day, which saw teams trying to raise the most money - the prize eventually went to Barclays Battlers, closely followed by Bidwells Blister Beaters.

However, the teams have a further two months in which to collect sponsorship money before the prize, a go-karting and quad biking team day, donated by Wild Tracks, is actually awarded.

The fastest team over the 50km was the team from Taylor Vinters Widescream TVs, who finished the walk in seven hours and 13 minutes. The tortoises award went to Ernst & Young, who completed the distance in 12hrs 20mins.

Helen Joyner, of the Papworth Trust, which is behind the Saxongate facilities, said: "A big thank you goes out to all the walkers and volunteers - St John Ambulance Norfolk, Raynet for fantastic radio communication, Bidwells, Mills & Reeve and Hill Partnerships for all their support with the event, and to Taylor Vinters, City & Country Group and Maxine Lester Residential Lettings for providing some excellent checkpoints."

Teams started at the Elvedon Estate Shop and Cafe Restaurant, near Thetford, and finished at The Bull in Burrough Green, near Newmarket.

The groundbreaking Saxongate Centre, which provides community facilities mixed with residential accommodation for people who would otherwise not be able to live alone, aims to be self-funding in just three years. However, funding is needed in the meantime.

INFORMATION: The teams were: Barclays Battlers, The 'B' Team (Birketts), Bidwells 'Are we nearly there yet?', Bidwells Blister Beaters, Bidwells Easy Striders, Bidwells Reckless Ramblers, Deloitte Dawdlers (Deloitte & Touche), Walkie Talkies (Deloitte & Touche), HTTP: Hardly time to prepare (Ernst & Young), Eveready Eversheds, Hill Partnerships A, Hill Partnerships B, The Hares (Mills & Reeve), The Tortoises (Mills & Reeve), Morris Homes South, Everything and the girl... well almost (Papworth Trust), Potton Ltd, Pricewaterhouse Coopers 1 and 2, Team Putterills, Ridgeons, Savills Striders, Savills Strollers, Taylor Vinters' TV Dinners, Taylor Vinters' Widescream TVs.