CARING staff at Sargeant's Funeral Directors have pledged to raise £50,000 for Windsor's Thames Hospice over the next five years.

The teams, from the Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead branches of E Sargeant and Son launched their fundraising drive with a sponsored walk on Sunday, July 22 – which started from their Slough branch in Church Street, taking in the Windsor branch in St Leonard's Road, the hospice itself in Hatch Lane, before carrying on to the Maidenhead branch in High Street.

Regional Development Director Peter Dearing and 10 other volunteers from E Sargeant & Son, joined by supporters from Richard Lloyd Funeral Services of Woodley and Woking Funeral Services took part in the 10-mile walk and have already raised over £1,000.

The team kept going through 30 degrees temperatures.

Area Development Manager Mark Clements said: “This is the start of a five-year commitment to raise £10,000 a year for Thames Hospice.

“Our branches work closely with the hospice, which does such a fantastic job supporting families in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and our staff are committed to making a real difference by raising money for this vital service.

Mary-Ann Leader, Corporate Fundraiser from Thames Hospice said: “Funeral Partners’ pledge over the next five years will make a vital difference to the level of care our patients and their loved ones receive at Thames Hospice and in the community.

“It costs more than £8 million a year to run with 70 per cent of its funding coming from charitable donations."

To sponsor the team, please go to: www.esargeant.co.uk