Today is the annual Upbeats Walk fixture, sponsored by We Are Brand New, and a record number of supporters taking on the nine-mile walk from Charlton Athletic’s Training Ground in New Eltham to The Valley.
The charity walk from the training ground to the stadium will be led by Charlton legends Bob Bolder, Simon Webster and Paul Mortimer.
This morning will be kicking off with a warm welcome from CharltonTV’s Scott Minto, who recently joined Charlton Upbeats William and James for a round of golf with former SoccerAM stars Tubes and Ange for their Golf Life YouTube channel.
The walkers will stop at Charlton Lido and Lifestyle Club for a halfway point snack and refreshments provided by We Are Brand New, and then set off for the second half of the journey.
As the walkers arrive at The Valley, they will be greeted by cheers as they cross the finishing line by the dugouts pitchside.
Before the first-team take to the pitch, the Upbeats will be playing their own match against Everton in the Community’s Down’s syndrome team.
In the run-up to the walk, a group of Upbeats were lucky enough to watch the men’s first-team train and then play a very competitive seven-a-side match against them, led by Addicks boss Nathan Jones.
CACT’s Upbeats programme for young people and adults with Down’s syndrome is entirely funded by donations and needs as much support from Charlton fans as possible!
From the first year of the programme, the fans have always shown their support for the programme. Over the years it has grown in popularity and last year’s event raised over £49,000! We’d love for this year’s event to be just as successful, so we need your help!