Bay Search and Rescue Team - Morecambe Bay, Cumbria

Cross Bay Walk

Sunday 27th July 2008 - Annual Cross Bay sponsored walk

It's back again! Why not join us with your family and friends for a unique day out in the fresh air on Morecambe Bay. Your participation by gaining sponsors to do this will help raise funds for the Bay Search and Rescue Team which as an independent charity relies on fund raising like this to survive. We do not get any Government funding and rely on this as our major fundraising event of the year.

The walk will be led by Cedric Robinson, the Queens Official Guide to the Sands and supported by team members from Bay Search and Rescue in their distinctive orange hi-visibility jackets. Some of the team will be walking with you and will be happy to discuss our role on the Bay, and some will follow in our amphibious and all-terrain Hagglund rescue vehicle which you will have an opportunity to look around - and maybe a ride in if all that fresh air proves too much!

We will depart from Arnside promenade at 12.15 prompt and will walk across to Kents Bank Train Station near Grange-over-Sands, arriving a couple of hours or so later.

The length of the walk varies depending on the route Cedric takes on the day through the channels (and around any quicksand obviously - which is why he is the Queens guide!). Children and anyone comfortable walking (all level ground) for a 2 to 3 of hours are welcome. There are usually some channels to wade through so be prepared to get wet to your knees or so. Anyone not happy to wade can always take a ride in the Hagglund. Dogs are more than welcome if kept under control especially as other dogs will be there too!

Check out some of the photos from our previous Cross Bay walks Walk Photos 1 | Walk Photos 2 | Walk Photos 3

This is an ideal day out - some gentle exercise all the family can join in with, lots of fresh air and a chance to say you have done something unique - we look forward to seeing you.

Alternatively you can use the Smart Give System 'the smarter way to get sponsorship' to email all your friends and they can pay online:
Here’s what happens:
1. You create your fundraising page in a matter of minutes and email it to your friends, family and colleagues all over the world .
2. Your contacts click on the link in the email, access your page and sponsor you quickly, easily and securely by adding their credit or debit card details.
3. Every time someone sponsors you, the system will let you know, and they will receive an automated thank you email.
4. Once you have completed your fundraising activity, sponsorship money will be taken from your donor’s debit or credit card and they will receive an update saying how much you have raised all together.
5. The Bay Search and Rescue Team gets your sponsorship money and any Gift Aid contribution straight away and you don’t need to chase missing money, worry about updating your sponsors or thank them: it’s all done for you. Find out more about smart give here

Groups are welcome

If you wish to bring a large group you will be more than welcome. Ideally it is a great help (and saves us admin as we are all volunteers here) if you can get the members to register using the link above, or register for them. If this is not possible then please register yourself as the group leader and then email us a a list of the names, addresses, telephone number and email for all your group members.

If you have any questions please contact Gary Parsons on 07776 156171 - or email gary@baysearchandrescue.org.uk

What do I need for the walk?

We always order warm sunshine a light inshore breeze and the gentle song of a sea bird to accompany our walk. But just on the off chance that our request is denied then bring some light waterproofs. The walk is suitable for anyone who can walk for three or four hours, including children from around five years old. You will need some old footwear for the first part of the walk, and then once onto the sand you can you can whip your footwear off and go barefoot, its great!!

You can bring along the family dog but we ask you to please keep them under control at all times. You will be walking on a route that is well planned and Cedric Robinson MBE the Queens Guide will be leading the walk. There will be a couple of channels to cross and you may get wet up to your knees, so shorts might be a good idea depending on the weather. There are no toilets and no cafe's out on the sands so bring a drink and maybe a snack to eat. When the sun does come out there’s no shade, so a hat and sun cream is a good idea, especially for the little one's.

Where does it start and finish?

Start is at Arnside, Finish is at Kents Bank Railway Station
To get to Arnside You must leave the M6 at Junction 35 from the south or 36 from the North and follow the sign's for Milnthorpe along the A6. At Milnthorpe traffic light's follow the sign’s for Arnside. As you approach Arnside you will pass under the railway bridge, Once you have passed under the bridge turn right and then find a parking spot anywhere along the seafront, you are now only a few hundred yards from the start which is directly across from the Albion Pub on the corner.

The finish is at Kents Bank (Near Grange over Sands) at the Railway station. There are trains from here back to Arnside every hours or so.

Alternatively you can park at Kents Bank Station and either arrange a lift back to Arnside, or you can catch the train back round to Arnside (before the walk starts) so you have a car waiting when you finish.

We look forward to seeing and would like to thank you for helping us.