Celebrate 200 years of the RSPCA with a brand new sponsored walk
Pull on your walking boots and step out for animals this September. Join your local community and hike 5 or 10km through the beautiful Kent countryside.
Reach the finish line and enjoy food and drinks, fun and games and see the difference your fundraising makes at our animal centres. There's even the chance to meet some of our rescues and see behind the scenes.
Event details
- Date: 2025 TBC
- Location: Leybourne Animal Centre, 199 Castle Way, West Malling ME19 5HW
- Distance: 5km or 10km
- Registration Fee: £10 for adults, £5 for under 18’s
- Fundraising Pledge: £100
- Prizes: Medal for every finisher
- Post-event activities: Food and drink, and games
We're so excited to bring the community together to enjoy the outdoors and support animal welfare. Join us for a fun day out at Walk Leybourne!
Volunteer for the day
Not a walker but would still like to be involved? Join the volunteering team to help the day run smoothly. There's plenty of activities to get involved in on the day from helping with set up to supporting our walkers out on the course.
Ready to step up for animals?
Sign-up to Walk Leybourne
FAQs
About the walk
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The walk starts at and finishes at Leybourne Animal Centre, 199 Castle Way, West Malling ME19 5HW. The walk starts at 10am on Sunday 8th September but we are open from 8:30am for arrivals, parking and registrations.
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By car - Parking is available in a field adjacent to the centre, behind the start field. We recommend car sharing where possible.
By public transport - From Snodland railway station you can get the 71 bus to Lunsford Lane Bottom and from there it is a short walk to the centre.
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The route is fairly flat and takes you through the Kent countryside surrounding Leybourne. There are some stiles to cross and the majority of the route is off road through fields with some uneven ground. The 10k route is 2 loops of the 5k and the finish area is in the grounds of the animal centre. The route isn’t wheelchair or buggy friendly but the centre is if you wish to meet family and friends there after the walk.
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Walkers will set off at 10am and depending on individual speed we would anticipate the 5km to take approximately 60 - 90 minutes, and the 10km to take 2 to 3 hours. We anticipate all walkers to be back at the animal centre no later than 2pm. Games, stalls and refreshments will run until 3:30pm.
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The route will be signposted and we’ll have stewards along the route to guide you. It is mainly on public footpaths so please make sure you look out for our route signage. You can view a route map here for an overview.
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There will be toilets at the start and the finish areas and we will have water refills available at the start. Food and drink will be available to purchase at the finish and there will be some snacks available free of charge.
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Sturdy walking shoes or boots are recommended due to the stiles and uneven fields, along with comfortable, breathable clothing and a spare layer in case it’s chilly. As this is the UK we suggest you come prepared for all weathers! We recommend you bring sunscreen, a hat, a waterproof, water bottle, snacks and your mobile phone. Signal can be patchy but our stewards will be equipped with radios.
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You are welcome to bring friends and family along to the start and finish areas if you wish.
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This isn’t a dog walking event and we ask that where possible dogs are not brought along due to the proximity to the centre and the rescue animals on site.
Registration
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We ask that you sign up in advance using the ‘sign up now’ button. This guarantees you a spot on the event and means we can get your event day kit sent out to you in advance.
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We need a separate registration form for everyone walking. Adults can register their children but we need individual forms for each walker.
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Anyone can sign up but those under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult, and have an adult contact on their form.
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The entry fees help to cover the costs of putting on the event. This means more of the money you raise can be spent making a real difference to the animals who need us most.
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Entry fees are non refundable but they are transferable. If you wish to cancel your place or transfer your place to another walker please get in touch on events@rspca.org.uk and we will arrange this for you.
Fundraising
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Once you’re registered your fundraising page will automatically get set up. We’ll keep in touch in the lead up to the event with fundraising tips and tricks to make the most of your page and help you smash that target!
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The money you raise in sponsorship will help us continue our work to change lives, laws, industries and minds, so all animals can live a better life. You can find out more about what we do here. Any money raised through the on the day games, refreshments and centre tours after the walking event will directly benefit the Leybourne Animal Centre and their rescue and rehabilitation work.
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This target is a suggested goal to aim for - we would love you to raise as much as you can and will help you get there. Once you register we will send through fundraising ideas and support but for some initial inspiration please check out our website. You have until a month after the event to collect in all your sponsorship. You will still be able to take part if you haven’t reached the £100 target.
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If you have any further questions please contact events@rspca.org.uk