The fifth Walk Tonbridge Festival (13 to 28 September 2025) – proudly sponsored since its launch by CooperBurnett LLP – has raised £19,305 for charities including Stocks Green Pre-School, Nightwatch, Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity and Mission Rwentobo, with £10,740 of this total being donated to the Tonbridge food bank, Sustain, based at Tonbridge Baptist Church.
A ‘celebration of walking, Tonbridge, community and countryside’, the highlight of the Walk Tonbridge Festival, organised by James Pavlou, founder of Walk Tonbridge, was the Walk Tonbridge Marathon. Jointly organised by James and Katie Hilsdon from CooperBurnett, the event on Sunday 21 September saw 190 participants take on the challenge.
This year, the Walk Tonbridge Festival featured a Mini Marathon for the first time – 5 miles or a shorter accessible route - alongside the main Marathon event. This started and finished at Tonbridge Old Fire Station and saw 59 walkers sign up, many of them children.
“It was fantastic to have CooperBurnett supporting the Walk Tonbridge Festival for a fifth year running and, as ever, getting so heavily involved in its success,” says James Pavlou. “I couldn’t run the Festival without our supporters and they also include Tonbridge Old Fire Station (TOFS), Hilden Park Chartered Accountants, Absolute Creative Print, Fit Feet Podiatry and Mr Ames Tea, as well as friends, family and our enthusiastic volunteers!”
Sustain currently works with around 90 families each week and will be using the funds raised to help keep its food bank stocked with supplies. The food bank is expecting to give out over 4,000 food parcels during 2025 and it distributed over 600 during the summer holiday alone. Currently, it costs around £1,500 per week to keep the Sustain larder stocked with tins and fresh food – which means the amount raised from the Walk Tonbridge Festival will keep it running for seven weeks!
“I cannot tell you how much the support from the Walk Tonbridge Festival means to us at Sustain, not only the money but the enthusiasm and support from our lovely community,” says Emma Lander, Community Lead at Sustain. “I am in awe of the amount of work and passion that went into making the entire Festival – and the Walk Tonbridge Marathon in particular - such an enormous success. A huge thank you to James, CooperBurnett and everyone involved.”
TeamCB turned out to tackle the 26.2 mile walk around Tonbridge and its surrounding villages, with the firm represented this time by Sarah Strong (and her friend, Tammy) and June Stacey (and her daughter, Lauren). Sarah was particularly proud of her fifth medal, having successfully completed every single Walk Tonbridge Marathon!
This year, other corporate teams included Emma Moss (and her daughter Matilda) from TN Recruits and a group from ABMV Chartered Accountants in Tonbridge.
"Our ABMV and friends team - including Charlie the dog, who trotted along without a hint of tiredness - had a fantastic day completing the Walk Tonbridge Marathon together," says Lucinda Lucey, Marketing Manager at ABMV Chartered Accountants. " We were lucky enough to get the sunny skies we’d hoped for, which made the day even more memorable and our team spirit carried us through.”
Lucinda adds: “Huge thanks to everyone who helped organise the event and to all the amazing volunteers who kept us going along the way. We’re so proud to have been part of this walk, kindly supported by CooperBurnett, raising much-needed funds for Sustain, which works tirelessly to tackle food poverty in our community.”
Katie Hilsdon from CooperBurnett, has co-organised the Walk Tonbridge Marathon since the first event, when there were just 17 walkers.
“It was an absolute honour to be part of TeamCB supporting James and the Walk Tonbridge Festival again and wonderful to see so much raised for Sustain,” says Katie. “A huge ‘thank you’ to the amazing volunteers on Marathon day – we had so many positive comments about them. To hear how the money raised will make a life-changing difference to many families in Sustain keeps us all going.”
Currently, Sustain is particularly looking for donations including tinned meat, fruit and vegetables as well as dry foods like pasta, biscuits and rice and these can be left at Tonbridge Baptist Church reception 9.00am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
