Private Cellar takes on the South Downs Challenge, 11th October 2025

Intent on raising money for a charity that does so much good, we have decided to once again don elasticated clothing and comfortable shoes to walk 13.1 miles, this time up and down some hills.

Renowned for its challenging terrain, the walk along The South Downs Way is not for the faint-hearted, requiring a good level of fitness to tackle the steep ascents and descents. Why six middle-plus-aged wine merchants think they qualify for such an outing is a question we, the Private Cellar team, are yet to answer.

During our last trudge, almost two years ago, Andrew displayed excellent leadership by pulling a reviving bottle from his rucksack. It is remarkable what a warm, fizzy, Australian chardonnay can do for morale. We hope for an improved repeat.

When tiredness does start to bite and our humour wears thin, we will turn our minds to the money we are raising for the Charlie Waller Trust. The trust works to help people talk openly about mental health while raising awareness of depression and other mental health problems by providing training in schools, universities, and workplaces.

We would be thrilled if you would consider helping us to complete the walk by donating to a charity that does vital work to help an ever-growing number of us.

The walkers are: Andrew Gordon, Laura Taylor, Nick Clarke, Mark Wilson, Sarah Madgwick and Charlie Stanley-Evans