GET your walking shoes ready as the date has been set for the 2006 Walk for Diabetes.

Last year's walk raised a staggering £115,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the man at the helm of this year's walk says he wants to beat that total.

Barry Smith, chief executive of Fortis Insurance Ltd at Tollgate, Eastleigh, has agreed to be chairman of this year's walk and is hoping for a big turnout.

Last year around 70 Fortis staff took part in the event and raised £6,500. The Fortis team were the second largest corporate team at the event and the second largest fundraisers.

"We will be getting staff here involved again and we will be surprised if we don't have more than took part last year," Mr Smith said.

Mr Smith will also help encourage other local businesses to get involved by sponsoring the event or taking part.

This year's Walk for Diabetes will be held on September 17 at a venue to be decided next week. Last year walkers took to Manor Farm Country Park for the fundraiser.

The walk is the main fundraising event in the JDRF calendar and is a fun, family event which Mr Smith is hoping lots of people will get involved with.

"It is different, it is sociable, it is suitable for families and it's a walk everyone can do," he said. "It doesn't matter how much anybody raises, it's a fun walk and the more the merrier. There is no threshold or minimum limit for sponsorship.

"If everyone who came along just raised £10 that would make a lot of money."

Challenge

Mr Smith will start the walk then take part himself and said he was looking forward to the challenge of getting as many people as possible involved.

He will be holding a corporate breakfast at the Rose Bowl on May 9, to recruit local supporters of the walk.

All funds raised from the Walk for Diabetes goes towards research into Type One diabetes and a search for a cure.

To take part in the 2006 Walk for Diabetes on September 17, log on to www.jdrf.org or contact James Hunt, regional fundraiser, on 023 8058 6269.