Thames Bridges Trek 2023

Event type: Walk, Jog, Run
Date: 9th September 2023
Location: West London
Registration fee*: £15-£79
Fundraising target*: £135-£245
*Depending on signup option + distance

Join the team

Choose a charity sponsorship place and get 50% off your registration fee – just select Dementia UK as your charity on signup! 

Walkers trek across the Capital taking in unrivalled views of the skyline and historic landmarks. Setting out from the Putney 

Bridge, start and head East towards the City, zigzagging over 16 historic bridges – each with its own fascinating story – with a rest stop near Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, before reaching the spectacular Tower Bridge and completing your challenge at Southwark Park. It’s a party-style finish line and is great way to enjoy a weekend in London! 

Your entry includes a range of free food and drink at regular rest stops, and support from medics, marshals and massage teams. As you cross the finish line, you’ll get a refreshing celebratory drink, t-shirt, and a special medal to celebrate your achievement. 

Dementia UK are an official Partner on this great challenge and can offer you a 50% discount on your charity registration fee when signing up. Head to Ultra Challenge website to find out full details of prices and to sign up – remember to select ‘official partner 50% off’ on Sponsorship for Charity to support Dementia UK.  

Set yourself up for an active Autumn with #TeamDementiaUK! 

Join the team
When joining the team you’ll receive: 
  • support from our fundraising team to get you over the finish line 
  • training plans 
  • a fundraising guide, as well as fundraising advice, hints and tips in the build up to the event 
  • a branded Dementia UK sports top for the day! 
  • a range of Dementia UK fundraising materials (collection buckets, posters, balloons etc.) to make any events you hold look amazing
Top tips for fundraising success

Every penny you raise from your event will help our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses provide a lifeline to more families facing dementia – and we’re here to support you every step of the way. 

Fundraising ideas 

Organising another fundraising activity alongside your main challenge will help you smash your goal. Here are some ideas: 

  • host a quiz 
  • arrange a raffle 
  • hold a sweepstake on how long your challenge will take, or the distance you’ll achieve 
  • organise a bake sale at home, at work or in your community 
  • create a sponsored playlist, where supporters donate to add their choice of song 

Your fundraising welcome pack 

Once you’ve signed up for your challenge, we’ll send you a fundraising welcome pack that’s full of advice on how to meet – and beat – your target.  

JustGiving  

Setting up a JustGiving page is a great way to fundraise online. Share your link with family, friends and colleagues, and watch the donations roll in.  

You can use JustGiving to explain why you’re taking on your challenge for Dementia UK, keep track of how much you’ve raised, and even share your training progress using Strava so your supporters can see how well you’re doing. The more you update and share your JustGiving page, the more donations you’ll receive. 

Gift Aid 

If your supporters are UK taxpayers and their donation is voluntary (not proceeds of a sale), we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated – at no extra cost to them. Make sure they fill in the Gift Aid form in your fundraising pack or tick the correct boxes if they’re donating online. 

Sending in your donations 

If you’re fundraising through JustGiving, the donations will automatically come to us. If you’ve got cash to pay in, you can do this online, by phone, by bank transfer or by post. 

Click here to find out how to pay in your donations. 

Sponsorship for charity

You pay a small registration fee, do lots of fundraising and we cover the cost of your event place! As we are an official Charity Partner–you get 50% off the standard reg fee when you select ‘Official partner 50% off’ on Sponsorship for Charity, then select our charity on the dropdown. 

25km Challenge – £15 fee paid online and at least £245 charity sponsorship 

Mixed funding

Pay half of the event place cost yourself, fundraise a bit less and we pay the balance of the event place cost. 

25km Challenge – £45 fee paid online and at least £135 charity sponsorship 

Self-funding

You pay the full cost of the event place – fundraise whatever you want, with no set target or deadline, and there’s no cost at all to the charity! 

25km Challenge – £79 fee paid online 

Not what you’re looking for? 

The Ultra Challenge Series has alternative events throughout the year at multiple locations. Click on the links below to find an event to suit you: 

Lottie and Frankie

Lottie and Frankie, who completed the Thames Bridges Trek in honour of their grandparents:

We think this walk is a great starting point for future, longer treks. We’ve grown up around here and want to get to know the historical bridges better. There’s loads to see, and there are a lot more bridges than we thought!