Shrewsbury company aims to follow the Severn in seven different ways

Staff from Morris Lubricants, Britain’s leading family-owned, independent oil blenders and marketers based in Shrewsbury, aim to complete The Severn Way long-distance footpath in seven different ways.

They plan to follow the 229.9-mile course of the River Severn by walking, running and bicycling, on horseback and also using a canoe, coracle and raft. All the money raised from their marathon effort will go towards Severn Hospice in Shrewsbury.

The route begins at the source of the River Severn on Plynlimon mountain near Llanidloes in Mid Wales and ends at Bristol. En route the path passes through, Llanidloes, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Severn Gorge, Bridgnorth, Bewdley, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcester, Upton-upon-Severn, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Berkeley Castle, Slimbridge, Severn Beach, Lawrence Weston, Shirehampton and through the Avon Gorge to Bristol.

Morris Lubricants is no stranger to a challenge, having scaled the 64 ‘county tops’ to raise £20,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The charity has special significance to the company, as late employee Adam Fewtrell died of a rare form of childhood bone cancer in 2011 at the age of 20. Adam’s father Graham and sister Amy work for Morris Lubricants.

Managing director Andrew Goddard said: “Everyone enjoyed the challenge so much this year that we have decided to take on a new one for 2013. We plan to follow the course of The Severn in seven different ways in relay for the Severn Hospice, which is going to be a lot of fun.

“We chose the Severn Hospice because it’s such a respected local charity, which does fantastic work caring for people with life-limiting illnesses and also supporting their family.”

Severn Hospice is an independent charity, which relies on public fundraising for two-thirds of its revenue. Since opening in 1989, the hospice has cared for more than 16,000 patients and now care for around 2,500 patients a year.