25km charity walk through Oxfordshire countryside planned

Bicester-based wine importer North South Wines is organising the 25km walk, which will take place on March 26 and raise funds for Oxford mental health charity Restore and industry charity The Drinks Trust.

The route will take the team from Bicester Motion to Restore’s headquarters on Manzil Way in Oxford, passing through Morton and Beckley along the way.

Kim Wilson, managing director of North South Wines, said: “We’re really excited to bring the team together for another charity challenge. We’re supporting two incredible charities: Restore does invaluable mental health work in our community, and The Drinks Trust supports people across our industry.

“Getting outdoors and active with the team while raising funds for causes we believe in makes this challenge feel especially worthwhile.”

The walk marks the final leg of the company’s NSW 5000 challenge, a month-long effort during which colleagues across the UK have aimed to collectively cover 5,090km through various human-powered activities. By March 25, the team had already completed 4,750km, with the final charity walk expected to take them past their target.

The total distance represents a virtual journey from North South Wines’ Bicester office to its shareholder sites in Germany, Belgium, and Italy, and back again, with each participant contributing an average of around 150km throughout March.

Restore is an Oxfordshire charity that supports adults recovering from mental ill health through recovery groups, training, and employment coaching.

Beth Hendry, CEO of Restore, said: “We are incredibly grateful to North South Wines for their generosity, energy and commitment to raising both funds and awareness for Restore. At a time of growing economic uncertainty, rising living costs and increasing demand for our services, this support helps us reach more people with vital mental health services, making a real and lasting difference to lives across our community.”

The Drinks Trust is a trade charity that offers wellbeing, financial, and career support to people throughout the drinks industry.

Nicky Burston, CEO of The Drinks Trust, said: “We are so grateful to the North South Wines team for choosing to support us through such an inspiring challenge.

“The funds raised will make a real and lasting difference to thousands of colleagues across our industry who are facing hardship. Thank you so much for your generous support.”

North South Wines, founded in 2014, is part-owned by three international wineries and became the first wine distributor to achieve B Corp certification in 2023.