Questions and Answers
If your question is not answered here, please do not hesitate to email the 'Bridges' team with your query (help@bridgestoafrica.org.uk).What date is the walk? What time does is start?
Bridges to Africa 2009 will take place on Sunday 22nd March. In London, school groups are allocated a start time of either 12.00pm or 12.30pm. If you're not sure of the start time for your school group, please email us. In Birmingham & Manchester the walk starts at 12:00pm.Where is it?
For the first time, Bridges to Africa will take place simultaneously in three different cities - London, Manchester and Birmingham. See below for information on the relevant city.
LONDON:
The walk will start from Spring Gardens (postcode area SE11), very near to Vauxhall bus, tube and rail stations. School groups should enter the park via the main gate off Kennington Lane. The walk finishes after Tower Bridge, on the north bank of the Thames, next to the Tower of London (postcode area EC3).
See also the route map and multimap links for the start and the finish.
Getting there and back:
If travelling by train -
Start:nearest underground station is Vauxhall (Victoria line). Also National Rail services.
Finish:nearest underground station is Tower Hill (District & Circle lines). Tower Gateway station (DLR) is also within easy walking distance of the finish.
Teachers should check for planned interruptions to the underground service which may affect their journey by visiting the TfL website in the week before the event.
If travelling by coach -
Drop-off: Near Spring Gardens, Vauxhall, SE11.
See TfL's interactive coach map or click here for the multimap link.
Pick-up: Near the Tower of London, EC3.
See TfL's interactive coach map or click here for the multimap link.
The TfL website has lots of useful information for coach operators.
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BIRMINGHAM:
The walk will start from The International School & College, off Gressel Lane, in Tile Cross (B33 9UE). The walk itself is based in and around the Kingfisher Country Park in the Cole Valley - beautiful! The walk finishes next to Bordsley Green East, not far from the start. (Nearest train station - Stechford Rail)
See also map links for the start of the walk and our route map.
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MANCHESTER:
The walk will start from Whitworth Park, off Oxford Road (M13) and finish in Picadilly Gardens, in the City Centre.
See our route map for more detailed information.
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What is the distance of the walk?
The London walk crosses a total of 10 bridges over a distance of 10 kilometres. The walk in Birmingham is of similar length. The Manchester walk is just under 8 kilometres.
How long will it take? When will it finish?
The walks should take around three hours to complete, walking at a steady pace. PEAS cannot give a set finishing time, however, as it will depend on individual school groups.
How do we take part?
You have to be part of a registered school group to participate. Teachers can register their school online by completing and submitting the online school registration form.
What do students have to bring?
All the normal things for a long walk! Take a look at our Advice for Walkers page.
Can parents take part?
Parents and guardians of students are more than welcome to join the relevant school group along the route of the walk.
How do I get the sponsorship money to PEAS?
We would like link teachers to collect all sponosorship money from their students and then raise and forward on a cheque from your school to PEAS for the total amount. Please email us confirming the total amount you have sent, the total number of students who took part and the names of the top five individual fundraisers.
Please email help@bridgestoafrica.org.uk with any other queries.