A team of ten runners from The Hills Group, the Wiltshire based recycling, waste management, quarry products and new home building company, took part in the annual Ridgeway Relay on June 21. Sponsored by family, friends and business colleagues they raised the magnificent sum of £2,100 which they have chosen to donate to the Wiltshire Wooden Spoon Charity.

Wooden Spoon is the children’s charity of the rugby world which harnesses the spirit and values of rugby to give disadvantaged children in Britain and Ireland a chance to achieve their full potential in life. Fund raising is organised through volunteers working in regional committees and the Wiltshire Committee is the latest group to support the charity’s work.¬¬¬ The Ridgeway Relay is a team race, organised by Marlborough Running Club. It is run over ten legs, the legs varying in length from 5.4 miles to 11.0 miles. All teams must include at least eight male and two female runners, or vice versa. The Ridgeway is one of England's national trails, covering 86.5 miles from Ivinghoe Beacon between Luton and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire to Overton Hill near Marlborough in Wiltshire. The route along the scenic, hilly and off-road Ridgeway ends with a short final stretch to the Marlborough Leisure Centre. This year was the 20th Anniversary of the event and 41 teams took part in the relay.

Planning for The Hills Group team, appropriately named ‘WASTERS PACE’, was done by Hills Waste Solutions Divisional Managing Director, Mike Webster. Mike had competed in the Ridgeway Relay in the past and was keen to be part of the 20th anniversary event. His request for volunteers from within the group was met by an enthusiastic response and soon training and the hunt for sponsors was started.

The 10 strong Hills Group ‘WASTERS PACE’ team ran the 89 miles in 13 hours 59 minutes. The team members were Edwyn Dodd, David Bevan,,Jon Bucksey,,Kate Goss, Paul Elling, David Hooper, Alex Henderson, Louise Painting, Mike Webster and Mike Hill.