Flower of Suffolk Hundred organisers
| Position and contact | Photo | Bio |
| Katie Hunt: FOS Chair fos100chair@btinternet.com |  |
Katie is our chair person. A member of the LDWA for 26years she joined the LDWA because she realised she could do long walks and be part of a community of like minded people. She has been on the NEC in the past and can often be seen marshaling on N&S events and the annual hundreds! Katie wrote over 80 letters to possible HQs in Norfolk and Suffolk when we as a group first decided to take on the role of organising the event.... She was ignored by over 90% of those! Of the few that bothered to respond, Katie visited them all from West and north Norfolk to east n south Suffolk. One didn't have a kitchen/ dining room we could utilise. One required us to share with a cricket team, one had no showers, one had no parking anywhere near, another in middle of nowhere up a single track lane.... you get the drift..... Another said brilliant yes, you can have accommodation, use of swimming pool etc then completely ignored all further correspondence! Other jobs Katie has taken on are breakfast CP organising, the marshals walk organisation, Liaising with police and Suffolk county Council. Filling out forms for safety advisory board, etc. She’s been going to dozens of meetings about all sorts, ironing issues, finance, health & safety, risk assessment, catering, organising volunteers, decision making etc. She attended the AGM and previous 100 committee meetings all whilst making sure the rest of us are OK with our roles and supporting us with any issues ( more to come in roles section!) She's found time to walk the route and transport other committee members (& dogs) around it and has been in the area which is a different county to home for several weekends and dozens of days trips. |
| Michelle Armour - Route fos100route@ldwa.org.uk |  |
I've been an LDWA member for around 20years. I've completed 18hundreds (8 of them marshals walks) & I love the LDWA and the people involved!!
About 4 years ago I volunteered to plan and write a route for the Norfolk & Suffolk Hundred.
I think I could probably walk it blindfolded now and this route is the second one I've done for this event. (We changed HQs a couple of years ago, which was a good move imo- coastal erosion is a gamechanger!)
I've lived in Suffolk 55 years (not quite all my life but most of it
 ) I work 2 jobs with folks with learning disabilities & autism & have been a volunteer member of lowland Search & Rescue for over 12years.In my spare time, I walk, I have really enjoyed putting the route description together with help from other committee members & long suffering partner/friends who have walked out various sections with me telling them to FL at DPB or TR on BW!!
I've aimed to keep it as varied as I can, we have a lot of arable in this part of the world but we also have forests n woodland, castles, stately homes & parkland, thatched cottages, burial mounds, ufos, rivers, churches, heathland, pretty villages, market towns and a lovely coast. The land maybe very flat but we have lots to see and some very big skies....
I have written to every town & parish council on route explaining the event & am also in the process of chatting with farmers, estate managers, gamekeepers etc.
Now is also the time for form filling (permits) & Risk assessments (how many road marshals and signs will be needed?)
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| Hilary Magnall - Entries and Checkpoints fos100entries@gmail.com |  |
Superwoman Hilary joined the LDWA in 2017 because she enjoyed walking & was told that the LDWA was a way to meet some great people! She did her first hundred in 2018 & has now completed 5. Hilary's dog Willow is a regular LDWA walk attendee and her sons have both started to enjoy LDWA challenge events.
Her role on the FOS100 committee started 4 years ago, looking at possible venues for checkpoints on the proposed route. These include village & community halls, village greens, farms, a scout hut and Sutton Hoo. Next was working out the CP opening times to get the booking times. Venues were then contacted and the event was explained before bookings could be made. She has visited each hall (generally a few times) & taken notes ranging from how many tea spoons to where the fire exits are, the size of the fridge or number of electrical sockets, tables, chairs etc. All this gets collated in the Checkpoint Handbooks with various other details, distances to nearest shop or defib, contact numbers for an emergency, has it got a phone signal/ WiF, number of toilets, are cleaning products provided, where is the fuse box, fire extinguisher...... Do we need floor or seat covers if it's wet? The list is never ending....
She has also liaised with the local groups to allocate them to each checkpoint and on top of this, she is in charge of entries.
This has involved setting up the event on SiEntries, checking qualifiers and LDWA membership, sending out invites to enter and answering numerous queries (I haven’t done a qualifier but can I do it anyway please?!)
Oh and she's also walked most of the route person checking stuff and been awesome making the gpx a perfect match to the route! (Massive learning curve!) And doing a bit of proof reading of the route description & generally tidying it up ! She has adopted the section of the route between the 1st and 2nd checkpoints to make sure it is up to scratch for May!
All whilst having 2 volunteer jobs in her local community shop & cafe and a nearby charity shop, a busy family life, selling a house n renovating another, being chair of N&S LDWA & squeezing in a month in New Zealand and a bit of walking too (congrats on the recent Roundhay 50!)
Meet Hilary!
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| Sue Clements - First Aid |  |
Since joining the ldwa in the mid 70s, Sue has taken part in many kinds of walking events in many countries. IVV,IML,Euraudax, race walks, rambles & multi day mountain treks. She was one of the organisers of the original Daffodil Dawdle when the East Anglia group existed and was on the National committee for a while.
Now she actively promotes walking & cycling, she was a case study for the Sustrans walking & cycling indexes & used the experience to promote the protection of walkers on routes shared with cyclists.
She is a first Aid instructor and really enjoys helping people develop the skills & confidence to administer this, should it be needed. N& S have benefited from her knowledge and trained our regular marshals.
We are very grateful to have her experience & skills when the group marshals hundreds, some of you may recognise her from the N&S checkpoints and other events.
Sues main role on the committee is to ensure suitable first aid cover throughout the event. She has numerous skills and experience from professional (medical, safety & fitness) and volunteering work (red Cross, first and ambulance aid)
It's important we have a first aid provider with suitable & sufficient range of skills & experience and Sue made enquiries with 15 different providers before we chose the company appointed.
The first aid event plan and risk assessment has been made with Sue & the committee consultanting with the providers in detail & the risk assessment for this (&everything else) is under constant review until the event. (That's the main job of another committee member, coming soon!)
Sue is looking forward to being part of the event and being first aid liaison & main point of contact during the event so everyone, entrants, marshals and supporters can enjoy the weekend!
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| Malcolm Hunt - Transport Manager |  |
Malcolm joined the LDWA 26 years ago with his wife Katie (Chair of the FOS100). He had got to 40 years old and realised he wasn't very fit so was invited to take part in the Goyt Valley Challenge with a friend and the rest is history......
Malcolm loves the annual Hundred event and has completed 16 of them and hes marshaled 12! Some of you may remember him from marshaling at Greg's Hut on the Hadrian Hundred. That was certainly an experience!
He also has a great collection of colourful leggings which are also quite memorable!!
  and a fine pair of legs!Malcolm has been on the Transport Team for three previous Hundreds so hes hopeful he can bring this experience to this years Flower of Suffolk.
He says, although we will have a fantastic team of drivers and navigators, in the nicest possible way he hopes we will not be collecting many retirements..... He wants as many of you to complete your challenge as possible and looks forwards to seeing you on the event!
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| Simon Hodgin - Risk assessment |  |
Simon joined the LDWA 11 Years ago and has now completed 6 Hundreds. He joined because his future wife was a member & he enjoyed supporting her and her father doing crazy distances on foot!
In his spare time Simon walks the section of the route that he has adopted (we have to have people checking sections for hazards and potential issues, overgrowth, litter etc regularly! )& national trails & he often leads social walks with his now wife for N&S LDWA
Simon works in London and regularly commutes which gives him an opportunity to work on the Risk Assessment on the train if work allows....
It's quite a big document & some bits can be carried over year to year but as well as considering the trips, slips and falls, the competency of walkers and the weather, covid, food poisoning, traffic, wildlife, upsetting landowners, etc every checkpoint, menu & every paragraph of the route description is being individually accessed!
That low hanging branch in section 6.3 might need tape on it.......... the cows at 3.9?.... we'd better let the farmer know.....the tidal section in 10.7.... Is there a drier safer option? Is there a fire plan in check point 8, where are the nearest critical care, are marshals 1st aid trained, how are we going to best promote food hygiene.....
That's just the tip of the iceberg, I'm exhausted just thinking about it......
It takes a special person to co ordinate and bring this all together and the risk assessment is being constantly being reviewed and regularly updated with monthly sub committee meetings for various parts of it.....our special person is Simon !
I'm reliably informed Simon enjoyed the Roundhay at the weekend but if anyone found a knee cap it's probably his
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| Jayne Cook - Catering Manager |  |
In her spare time(not sure what that is currently!) our lovely Jayne enjoys travel both in the uk & internationally with the local north Norfolk Coast & the Peak District being firm domestic favourites. Jayne is also well travelled to overseas destinations and has walked in Peru, Nepal & New Zealand.
Jayne was an Army Reservist for 38years until 2018. She now lives and works in South Norfolk & has worked within the catering business for her whole career which got her volunteered for the role of catering lead for the FOS100
She joined the LDWA in 2002 & when an annual military long-distance walking event finished, Jayne sought an alternative civilian event to continue that personal challenge. The national annual LDWA 100-mile event met that brief & Jayne has successfully completed nineteen 100-mile challenge events to date! She's also well known for getting others around with a smile & encouragement from her library of marching songs!!
The Flower of Suffolk Hundred catering planning process has included menu creation for start,finish & 16 checkpoints, costing & quantifying food to feed in excess of 500 hungry entrants & marshals. Its hard to imagine the vast quantities of food & drink required – Jayne has had to draw upon her wholesale contacts within the supply chain to source & deliver the produce to Ipswich. Then it will need to be collated & re-distributed to the checkpoints that are dotted around rural Suffolk.
The complex catering planning process has been a journey in itself & has included diverse activities such as taste-testing the products such as traybakes (best bit IMO!) to the development of a 48-hour kitchen shift roster,to the scheduling of food distribution and menu instructions for the checkpoints.Also thinking about equipment needing to be sourced. Is one toaster enough for 500 people at cp9 ? Is the fridge big enough at cp4?
Jayne is very grateful to the small army of catering volunteers who will be helping her to collate, distribute and prepare the food items. She's had to really think about a varied and dietary-inclusive menu for the participants to enjoy on their 48-hour journey through the Suffolk countryside.
But she's looking forward to feeding the FoS 100 participants, meeting them at the event & of course wishes them every success in completing this year’s challenge...... don't forget to keep refuelling!!
She also makes an awesome flapjack!!
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| Jon Innet - Treasurer |  |
Jon our treasurer, Jon joined the LDWA 2021 after taking early retirement & soon started volunteering for roles on events and then the N&S committee. He did his first hundred at EBB & also completed Speyside last year.
He is our money man & keeps a sharp eye on everything spent from that box of staples to hiring porta loos, from food & drink for 500 x 17 to a bottle of something for that nice farmer that's given us permission to cross his private land from village hall fees to string for tallys..... He knows exactly what's come in and what's gone or whats expected to go out.
He's also the person to ask re facts.....How many under 20year olds entered, ? Over 80s? Vegetarians, ? Completing their 1st, ? How many from south Wales? Ratio of male to female entrants etc etc .......More about that later.....
Jon likes real ale & enjoys sugar on his stew (or he did in error during last years 100!
) and he is an avid Walsall football fan! He also leads a lot of walks for the N&S group & Ramble worldwide holidays here & abroad.Jon once told me the LDWA had changed his life (I'm presuming for the better
) so I think you can imagine how he feels about this amazing event & he wishes everyone all the best on their journeys around Suffolk & with the LDWA. |
| Richard May - Finish & IT |  |
Richard is the IT specialist at the Flower of Suffolk 100 and will be manning the finish desk at HQ throughout much of the event, a role he has undertaken in the previous two 100 events and at many Norfolk & Suffolk events. He is not only managing this role and providing technical support, but he is also the LDWA's national IT officer on the NEC overseeing the new web-site as well as being the Chair of Norfolk Ramblers so there's not much he doesn't know about walking having made a huge contribution over the years. Although more used to shorter walks, he is growing in confidence at longer walks and has successfully walked his first challenge event and is looking forward to doing many more in the future.
Richard loves the culture of the LDWA, the enthusiasm of the members and enjoys being involved at events and helping entrants complete the walks.
Other jobs for the 100 committee include sorting out any website or cloud issues for other committee members who don't have the same skill set (usually me!) and he will also be responsible for the national and N&S PAT (portable appliance testing) before the event. That'll include numerous kettles & toasters, a soup dragon etc and of course the IT equipment, extension leads and other bits most people don't even think about!
He's a very friendly and uplifting personality at the event, always keen to welcome and greet the entrants on their arrival and issue them with their certificate so hopes you all finish and enjoy yourselves!!
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| Jane Audsley - Volunteers & Equipment |  |
Jane has been involved in the ldwa since she was about 12. Her father Brian Alcock was a keen member and she used to help on the original Essex & Herts group Shotley in the early 80s!
She didn't join the LDWA until about 20years ago and her first hundred was in 2012 with her dad as he knew she'd get lost! She has now attempted several & completed 3. She really likes tuc biscuits and if you see someone hugging a packet on a future hundred its likely her!
Jane is our equipment and merchandise person. Some of the kit required gets passed from group to group year after year but most of it needs sourcing from the individual group and some it of course depends on the HQ & checkpoint facilities.
But EVERYTHING we need has to be collated, sourced and stored or booked for the marshals and main event.
The string for your tally card, glowsticks on the difficult to navigate night section, portable toilets at cp1, paper plates at cp 2 and loo roll, antibacterial sprays, pens, tables, tents, chairs, stapler. shoe covers, seat covers, cable ties for signs, washing up liquid for 16cps,crates for food n cp paperwork, portable fridge, etc etc...... it's all been ordered by jane
Jane enjoys walking national trails and leading walks for Norfolk n Suffolk group & she's also our local group walks secretary. In her 'spare' time she works as a dog walker and has 4 children and 2 Grandkids.
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| Sara Dyer - Vice Chair & Trackers |  |
I've been involved with the Flower of Suffolk 100 since the day the NEC accepted the application from Norfolk and Suffolk to stage the event, first as 100s co-ordinator and more recently as a committee member. That was four years ago but many of the committee have been involved for much longer. It is therefore really exciting to see all the hard work on different strands coming together, and I'm looking forward to seeing 100 friends, old and new, walking, helping and spectating, for an amazing weekend in the Suffolk countryside and sunshine. |
| Sarah Heal - HQ and Media |  |
I have been walking for many years with Ramblers groups and more recently with the LDWA including more Challenge events run by other groups around the UK. I supported the N&S checkpoint at Speyside and realised at first hand the enormity of the Hundred adventure. I look forward to supporting the event at HQ and will see some of you at CP10 on the marshals event. I am continually inspired by the achievements of the LDWA members and still hope to one day be fit enough to attempt a Hundred of my own. Best wishes, Sarah x |
| Andy Dack - HQ & Media |  |
I have always enjoyed a range of outdoor pursuits, being in nature and wondering at the natural world. I don’t have a lengthy LDWA back catalogue of achievements and only decided to enter my only Hundred on the last entry day for Speyside. I was extremely fortunate to team up with Jayne Cook & Heidi Miller who with their knowledge and generosity coaxed me round the route. I may not be able to write a book about that weekend either, but the people, atmosphere and scenery will remain with me for many years, if not forever. A totally unique and special journey. I am extremely proud to have my name entered in Keith Warman’s records and equally proud to be supporting HQ this year and potentially offering the warmest of ‘Welcome homes’ to some of the FOS 100 finishers. Best wishes to all the participants and equally to the volunteers in the many and varied roles that this famous LDWA weekend in May requires. |
