A NEW charity walk is raising much-needed funds for a city hospice.

Shakespeare in Boots was designed to support St Richard’s Hospice with a 26-mile trek from Wildwood Drive, where the charity’s headquarters is based in Worcester, to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford.

It took place in high heat and was a triumph.

The team, led by Tarquin Shaw-Young who came up with the idea, performed extracts from 20 of Shakespeare’s plays, including Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, As You Like It, Henry V, King John, Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Richard III.

It ended with a mock duel with swords and Puck’s final speech of Midsummer Night’s Dream in full costume outside the theatre in Stratford.

Tarquin said: “Spirits were high throughout despite some hot weather and very challenging, overgrown paths but the team pulled it off and raised a goodly amount of nearly £2,000 and rising.”

Among those taking part with Tarquin were Martin Bell, Ian Mootz, Nick Brown, Tim Wolff, Julia Wolff, Kelly Shaw-Young, Dave Wallis and Tuppence Shaw-Young.

They are still accepting sponsorship at www.justgiving.com/page/shakespeareinboots24.