Its time to get in to training and brush off those walking boots- it's the South Pennine Challenge 2008!!! Can you take on the Marshalls 50 Mile Maxi Challenge, the Halifax 25 Mile Midi Challenge - or is the Southdale Homes 12 Mile Mini Challenge for you? This year there is also a new family walk of 6 miles.

The Community Foundation for Calderdale has now started to organise the fourth South Pennine Challenge. Starting off at Mytholmroyd Community Centre on 17th May, challengers taking part in the Marshalls Maxi Challenge, which is 50 miles over 24 hours, will see some truly breath-taking scenery as they make their way around our beautiful area of the country. Places such as Baitings Reservoir, Walshaw Dean and Jerusalem Farm will act as stopping points along the way, with refreshments, entertainment & treatments to ease the pain. The entry fee to the Maxi challenge is £25 per person. If 50 miles sounds too much, then there are two alternative routes- there is the 25 mile Halifax Midi Challenge and the 12 mile Southdale Homes Mini Challenge- the Foundation felt that the shorter routes would make the challenge more accessible to more people, but also wanted to provide something for keen walkers that isn't quite the test of the Maxi challenge.

The Halifax Midi Challenge and the Southdale Homes Mini Challenge will also set off on the 18th May, taking the same route as the Marshalls Maxi challenge, starting at Mytholmroyd Community Centre The entry fee to the Halifax Midi Challenge is £20 & the entry fee to the Mini challenge is £12 per person. Challengers must raise a minimum of £75 in sponsorship money.

If all of this sounds too much, but you would still like to be involved, we are looking for an army of volunteers… Steve Duncan, Chief Executive of the Foundation said "We need people to man check points, register participants, carry out kit checks and a host of other duties. What ever you can do for us, your time will be greatly valued!" The Community Foundation for Calderdale raises money to give out in grants to improve the quality of life for people in Calderdale. This could be by helping to fund a new community centre, providing play equipment for a struggling children's playgroup, funding sports kits for a kids' football team, funding environmental projects that help train adults with learning difficulties and the long term unemployed… the list is endless.

When anyone gives to charity, they like to be able to see where their money goes, how it made a difference. As a local charity for local people to give to local causes, the Community Foundation for Calderdale can show people this. The South Pennine Challenge is a big fund-raising event, open to all to get more people to know about us and raise more funds so that we can help even more people. 20% of proceeds from the South Pennine Challenge will go to our Project of the Year, which this year is the Street Angels. This year the Foundation is also opening up the event to people wishing to raise money for their own causes and for companies supporting national charities. All money raised will be equally split between your chosen charity and the Community Foundation. For more information about the South Pennine Challenge, please call Steve Duncan on 01422 349700 or check out www.southpenninechallenge.co.uk