Now that the Doddle West is out of the way (and many thanks again to those who helped on it), I am writing on behalf of the committee to request your help for our next event, the 56 mile Dorset Giant* (see https://www.ldwa.org.uk/Dorset/W/2008/dorset-giant.html ) on Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th April 2019. This event is part of the South West Triple Challenge which also includes the Wellington Boot and Wye Forest 50. This email is being sent in advance of the AGM as we need to get on. If you can spare a few hours or even a whole day or night to give back something to the group, that would be much appreciated.

Main event

Helpers are required at times which will be specified later between about 6.30 am on the Saturday to about 10 am on the Sunday. The different tasks include:

• Helping at HQ at the Wey Valley School at Broadwey (same HQ as for the 100 in 2016) – setting up, registering and checking in, assisting entrants, helping in the kitchen, serving food, clearing up and closing down. This will include early on the Saturday morning, and overnight and early morning on the Sunday.
• Helping at the checkpoints at Abbotsbury, Shipton Gorge (formerly Loders), Toller Porcorum, Frampton, Charminster. Abbotsbury will be outside but the others will be in halls. The first three will be staffed mainly by other groups but may still need support from our group. Duties include setting up, registering entrants, serving food and drink, clearing up. This will include at night on the later checkpoints.
• Car parking supervision.
• Marshalling at two or possibly three manned clip points including Max Gate, Dorchester.
• Sweeping part of the route. Sweepers walk behind the slowest (last) entrant and have a number of duties to do with accounting for walkers and ensuring route safety amongst other things. Sweepers will need to be experienced long distance walkers, and will be asked to either enter the marshals' event or recce their allocated section. Priority will be given to those who have previously done other jobs (i.e. not sweeping) on our events.

Marshals' event - helpers

Helpers (but fewer) are also needed on the marshals’ event (the event for those helping on the main event) which takes place Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th March 2019. The format is similar to the main event, and will be fully supported with the same indoor checkpoints but the HQ will be at the Upwey & Broadwey Memorial Hall (as on the 100 marshals' event in 2016). The same kinds of help are needed except probably not car parking supervision or sweeping.

Marshals' event - entrants

If you are helping on the main event (see above) you can enter the marshals' event. If you want to go for that please let me know and more details will be forwarded by the organiser in due course.

If you want to help on either or both events, or enter the marshals' event, please reply to me mcallow534@gmail.com and with your preferred roles (if you have a preference), also if you are happy to work overnight. I am happy to answer any questions for the main event. For the marshals' event (helpers and entrants) I am not dealing but will forward all names and questions to the marshals' event organiser. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY DIRECTLY TO THIS EMAIL as it is from an unmonitored email account used for outgoing messages only. Please reply to my personal email account as per below (not the secretary one as I won't be secretary after the AGM).

Martin Callow
Dorset Group
Long Distance Walkers Association
mcallow534@gmail.com
07775 302253

* Not to be confused with the Cerne Giant 30 or 20 mile event, which we will be running again, possibly in 2020.