The Whitechapel Centre has hosted its first ‘Waterfront Walk’ in a bid to raise funds for homeless person’s charity.
The walk, which was five miles, started at 7am on Saturday along Otterspool Promenade and finished at Riversdale Merseyside Police Sports and Social Association in Aigburth.
The aim of the event was to raise money as well as showing volunteers the amount each outreach worker for the Whitechapel Centre has to walk daily when helping those living on the streets.
There was a variety of groups taking part, benefitting the charity through their donations raised. Among those involved were three Year 12 students from St Anselm’s College in Birkenhead.
As well as taking part in the walk, there was a stall set up at the college to donate socks for the charity to then pass on to those in need.
Will Nicholls, one of the participating students at St Anselm’s College, told JMU Journalism: “I think this walk is very important to help stop homelessness in Liverpool. Places like the Whitechapel Centre depend on people like us and everyone else doing the walk.
“It’s important to raise awareness, raise money and help out any way we can.”
YouTube: Stephen Bramhill
Alex Reardon, another year 12 student who took part, said: “These events could get bigger and bigger and it’s important to see the commitment people show to helping stop homelessness. At St Anselm’s we’re being proactive about it, not just having meetings at school, but we’re also taking action on it and helping out the best we can.”
Hettie Miles, the events and community fundraiser at the Whitechapel Centre, told JMU Journalism: “This sponsored five-mile walk is a new event for us. It is the equivalent of what our outreach team does everyday by going out everyday between 6am and 10pm.
“St Anselm’s College is one of the schools who support us. They are a part of the ‘Young Friends of Whitechapel’, it’s a volunteer group who come and support Whitechapel through fundraisers and they’re a big help for the charity.”
Roisin Maguire, the Edmund Rice Foundation’s Director of Schools for England, said: “We are delighted that St Anselm’s are doing this. They are responding to the great need of their local community and they are a great witness to others.”