Over 2,000 people helped raise more than £57,000 at the annual ‘Bridge the Gap’ charity walk through the streets and colleges of Cambridge on Sunday 13 September 2026).
This year ‘Bridge the Gap’ celebrated its 26th anniversary, having taken place every year since September 2001 and has now raised over £860,000 in total, for local charities, with over 51,000 walkers.
On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 walkers gathered at Parker’s Piece in the centre of Cambridge, to take part in the family-friendly walk, which is organised by, and in aid of, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill and is sponsored by The Cambridge Building Society.
This year’s route took in six Colleges of the University of Cambridge: Jesus, St John’s, Trinity, Gonville & Caius, Queens’ and Downing.
150 volunteers gave their time to support the event as: route marshals; registering walkers as they checked-in; serving cakes and preparing the site at Parker’s Piece.
20 volunteers from the Society of Cambridge Tourist Guides (SOCTG) were in locations throughout the route to provide walkers with expert insight about the history of the Colleges being visited.
Walkers enjoyed entertainment on the route from The Collaboration Choir in Downing College and music and singing, from the City of Cambridge Brass Band and Malcolm Fovargue, on Parker’s Piece, where they also saw the East Anglia Swing Troupe dance.
Event organisers have announced that over £57,000 has already been raised from registrations this year, to be shared equally between the two charities. The total is expected to increase in coming weeks once all donations and sponsorships have been included.
The Cambridge Building Society, celebrating its 18th anniversary as headline sponsor, was joined by Cambridge University Press and Assessment and the Cambridge Rotary in supporting the event. Their combined sponsorship helps to cover the event’s costs, meaning that all proceeds from registrations, including sponsorship raised by those taking part, can be split evenly between Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill.
Other event partners include Cambridge Independent and Cambridge Radio.
Jodie Vaughan, Income Generation & Communications Director of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity said:
“It was fantastic to see so many people come together to support our two charities. A huge thank you to everyone who took part on Sunday, including those loyal supporters who have joined us every year since the very first Bridge the Gap event in 2001.
I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to our sponsors, whose generosity and commitment are vital to the success of the event. Their financial support, promotion of the event and hands-on assistance on the day help make Bridge the Gap possible.
Finally, a special thank you goes to our volunteer route marshals, who generously gave their time to ensure participants had a safe, enjoyable, and memorable experience. Their dedication played a key role in making this year’s Bridge the Gap another outstanding success.”
Neil Perry, Chief Executive of Romsey Mill, said:
“Once again, Bridge the Gap was a truly special day! Thank you to everyone who took part including walkers, volunteers, singers and dancers! And our event partners who helped to plan the event.
We are extremely grateful to each of the Colleges for their enthusiastic support in providing access to their beautiful grounds. This event uniquely brings so many different aspects of Cambridge together for a great day and great local causes. And what a fantastic event it is!”
In total, 146 team members and family members from The Cambridge Building Society supported the event – including manning the start/finish line and, of course, walking the route in the society’s distinctive blue Making The Difference community programme t-shirts. They also ran a Spin the Wheel Prize Draw, which raised over £500.
Peter Burrows, Chief Executive of The Cambridge, said:
“We are proud to have been able to help fund, plan and deliver Bridge the Gap for the 18th time. It is a special event that brings our community together to support two wonderful charities who provide such vital support for families across the region.”
For more information about Arthur Rank Hospice Charity events or to sign up to the Cambridge to Ely Trek in March 2027 please visit arhc.org.uk/events
