2 July 2008

Clerical Medical Parish Walkers battered by rain and 70mph winds
£85,000 raised for charities Age Concern, CLIC Sargent and Diabetes UK.

Up to 70 mph winds drove horizontal hail into the faces of 1600 walkers this weekend on the Isle of Man. Dean Waddingham, managing director of Clerical Medical International said that in 19 years of sponsoring the walk, no-one had seen weather like it.

Whilst the weather cancelled Irish ferry services, felled trees and power lines in Scotland and dropped two inches of rain in 24 hours in Cumbria, the walkers gritted their teeth, donned their waterproofs and ploughed on.

Most walkers chose either the 19.5 miles to Rushen or the 32.5 miles to the town of Peel. But 121 walkers completed the full 85 mile circuit to Douglas.

Martin Malone, Clerical Medical International, walked the 85 miles in 19 hours and 42 minutes.

"It was such a pleasure to complete my first Clerical Medical Parish Walk and to be supporting the HBOS Foundation charities. There was a real HBOS atmosphere with so many colleagues being involved. Some of them, whom I'd never met before, actually stayed up to cheer me over the line at 3.30am on Sunday."

"My feet and legs are quite painful. It's almost comical when I momentarily lose the use of them and stagger backwards uncontrollably," he added.

The 67 HBOS walkers, supported by colleagues from Clerical Medical and Bank of Scotland International, raised over £42,000, which was matched pound for pound by the HBOS Foundation, making a total of over £85,000 for charities Age Concern, CLIC Sargent and Diabetes UK.

About HBOS Foundation The HBOS Foundation operates as an independent company and works with charitable and not-for-profit organisations across the UK, supporting people and their local communities. The Foundation's community giving is focused on two guiding themes; money advice and financial literacy and developing and improving communities.

Million £ Challenge charities are voted for by HBOS colleagues – this year they chose the CLIC Sargant to benefit from £1m, with anything over that being shared equally between CLIC Sargent, Age Concern and Diabetes UK. http://www.hbosfoundation.org

About Clerical Medical

Clerical Medical, founded in 1824, is an award-winning provider of pensions and investments. Products are provided to consumers through independent financial advisers. Clerical Medical is part of HBOS, the number one provider of new investments in the UK.

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