Walkers will put their best foot forward for charity this April in the first mass participation walk of its kind, when the Jane Tomlinson Walk For All comes to the Hope Valley during The Peak District Walking & Outdoor Festival 2012. 

Taking place on Sunday 29th April walkers from across Yorkshire and the Peak District will pull on their walking boots to take part in the Peak District’s biggest walk. With distances suitable for everyone, participants will have the opportunity to either take on a marathon challenge or simply enjoy a steady stroll with friends and family. 

During the walk, over 2,000 people will take to the hills and enjoy the breath-taking views on the 24, 12 or 5 mile route, which takes in some of the Hope Valley’s most stunning scenery, including Jacob’s Ladder and Mam Tor. 

The Peak District Walk follows the success of last year’s Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival in Settle, which saw 2,500 people enjoy the day. Thanks to support from official tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, the Peak District Walk For All now joins the Dales Walk For All and the highly successful Run For All series in the Jane Tomlinson Appeal events calendar. 

Sara Birkinshaw Events Director at Walk For All, said: “Jane Tomlinson herself studied in Sheffield, and the Peak District and particularly the Hope Valley were close to her heart. In looking for our next Walk For All, we knew that the Peak District would offer our supporters a stunning day out and also enable us to help a host of local South Yorkshire and Peak District charities.

“Our new Peak District Walk routes really do offer a true Walk For All – a day out in wonderful countryside that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their age and fitness levels.”

The Jane Tomlinson’s Walk For All will be the blue ribbon event in The Peak District Walking and Outdoor Festival 2012, co-ordinated each year by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire. The Festival, which will start on April 22 – two days before the 80th anniversary of the Kinder Mass Trespass, spans more than 120 events and walks across the area until May 6 – many of them free. The Mass Trespass will additionally be recognised with the ‘Kinder 80 – Trespass to Treasure’ celebrations that take place when the Jane Tomlinson Walk For All is held. 

Keen walkers will also be able to lace up their boots for the Chesterfield Area Walking Festival from May 12 to 20, The National Forest Walking Festival from May 19 to 31 and Autumn Footprints – Amber Valley and Erewash Walking Festival, from September 8 to 23.

David James, Chief Executive of Visit Peak & Derbyshire said: “The Peak District is well known locally, nationally and globally for the huge choice and variety of walks and outdoor activities that people can enjoy amid its unique and internationally significant landscapes. This year will be extra-special for us, as it also marks the 80th anniversary of the Kinder Mass Trespass on April 24 – catalyst for our ‘right to roam’ Britain’s countryside.

“Our annual Peak District Walking & Outdoor Festival is a fantastic showcase for everything from gentle strolls to geocaching using the very latest technology, and we are delighted that this year it will embrace Jane Tomlinson’s Walk for All, aimed at a wide range of age groups and abilities.”

By pulling on their walking boots for the Peak District Walk , many participants will be fundraising for one of the following event partner charities: Edale Mountain Rescue, Breast Cancer Campaign, Macmillan Cancer Care, Diabetes UK, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Heart Research UK, Friends of the Peak District, Cash for Kids and The Jane Tomlinson Appeal. 

The Peaks Walk For All is supported by a number of kind sponsors: Sheffield Hallam University, Northern Rail, Buxton Water, Yorkshire Post, Magic AM, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park. 

The Jane Tomlinson Walk For All Peak District Walk is open NOW for entries at www.forallevents.co.uk.

The Peak District Walking & Outdoor Festival is sponsored by Hi-Tec, Large Outdoors, The Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, Peak Pursuits and Sprayway. Full details – including information about how to book – are now listed in the new Peak District Walking & Outdoor Festival programme, which can be ordered or viewed online at www.visitpeakdistrict.com or picked up from tourist information centres in and around the area.