A NOVEL walk between two pubs could raise hundreds of pounds for Pendleside Hospice.

The six-mile Pub2Pub walk on Sunday, August 16, is in aid of the Gail Simpson Memorial Fund. Gail was a regular at the two pubs involved — the Crooked Billet at Worsthorne and the Kettledrum Inn at Mereclough, Cliviger.

The idea is that half of the hikers will start at the Crooked Billet and walk a three-mile route to the Kettledrum while the other half will take another three-mile route from the Kettledrum to the Crooked Billet.

After a refreshment break walkers will then make the three-mile vice-versa journey to the pub where they started.

Each walker will be charged £5 and sponsorship forms are available so people can raise more cash for the hospice.

Registration will take place at both pubs on the day between 11am and noon. You can also sign up or receive sponsorship forms either by going online to www.pendleside.org.uk or call Pendleside Fundraising on 01282 44012.

Christina Cope, of Pendleside Hospice, said: “We hope it will be a fun day for families and friends. Hopefully walkers will collect as much sponsorship money as possible. If people can’t do the walk they can make a donation on the remembrance page www.justgiving.com/gailsimpson/”

Gail’s husband Alan said: “Gail was well known in the Cliviger and Worsthorne areas and hopefully we will see many familiar faces on the walk. But also we hope to see lots of other people who will enjoy the beautiful countryside and raise lots of money for the hospice.”

Gail was a Barclays bank clerk in Burnley and Blackburn for 35 years and later a civil servant at the Department of Works and Pensions at Simonstone. She died last November aged 61 after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer. Her family pledged to raise £10,000 in 2015 for the hospice. Already the appeal stands at more than £35,000 and it’s hoped will pass the £50,000 mark.