Dunmow’s Inner Wheel club commend Cambodia charity trekker

A HIKER from Great Dunmow who raised �8000 for charity by trekking across Cambodia has given a talk to the town’s Inner Wheel Club.

Rita Punt took part in the ‘Walking in Cambodia’ challenge in aid of Farleigh Hospice after all the support they gave her when she lost her husband to cancer a few years ago.

Mrs Punt began a year-long regime of training at the gym, swimming, dancing and walking, and by February was in good enough shape to undertake the gruelling challenge.

As part of a group of 17 hikers, she left temperatures of 4C in England and arrived in arid conditions of 40C in Cambodia.

The party walked for five or six hours a day, with a mammoth nine hours on one day which was their longest trek and the hardest day.

An Inner Wheel spokesman said: “Rita could not speak highly enough of the local people within the Dunmow area for the wonderful support they had given her in this project and as a result of this she was able to donate �8000 to Farleigh Hospice.

“Our president Olga congratulated Rita on her achievement and thanked her for telling us about this wonderful worthwhile adventure.”

Meanwhile, at the same meeting, the club congratulated June Milne for her award at the Dunmow Town Awards held before Christmas.

The club also held a tea party at Alan Hasler House on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the Inner Wheel movement in 1923.