The Reading division of Secure Trust Bank (STB) Real Estate Finance (REF) has completed its fourth annual 'REF Ramble' walk, raising over £20,000 for Bone Cancer Research Trust.
This year's 'REF Ramblers', supported by the bank's professional partners, raised over £20,000, more than doubling the £10,000 fundraising target set and raising the largest amount for a single event to date for STB's charity partner.
The charity was selected in memory of former Managing Director Jon Bowers, who sadly passed away from dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, in January 2025.
Donations included £5,000 from Dorchester Living Limited and £1,000 from Gold Wynn. The bank's pound-for-pound match funding scheme also meant participating STB staff doubled what they raised individually, up to a maximum of £400 each.
18 members of the REF team were joined by one STB retiree and 22 individuals from the bank's professional partners. Leah Holmes, Regional Relationship Manager at Bone Cancer Research Trust, also took part in the 20-mile walk along the Thames on Friday 26 September.
Ramblers united from Allsop, Anderson Wilde & Harris, Clyde & Co, Field Seymour Parkes, gunnercooke, Harrison Clark Rickerbys, Lawrence Stephens, Shepherd & Wedderburn and Vail Williams.
The walk started at 9.15am, commencing from Goring, with the team arriving at STB's Reading office at 1pm for a short break. The final stretch was completed by the group's arrival into Henley-On-Thames at 5.30pm.
The participants enjoyed great weather and didn't let an unplanned detour, or some blisters, dampen their determination. One rambler walked the last five miles barefoot to complete the challenge.
Mike Feasey, organiser of the 'REF Ramble' and Relationship Director at STB REF, said: "Selecting Bone Cancer Research Trust as our charity partner this year was an easy decision. Earlier in the year, we sadly lost our former colleague Jon, a friend and mentor, to bone cancer. This was deeply felt across the organisation, and taking on this challenge in his memory felt like the most fitting tribute."
Bone Cancer Research Trust is a charity dedicated to research that helps to save lives, improve outcomes and offer hope to people affected by bone cancer.
Leah Holmes said: "It was wonderful to join the REF Ramble and walk alongside the generous and kind Secure Trust Bank team. They are all so inspiring and you could see how united they were in completing this in Jon's memory. The donations raised will help to fund vital research that aims to improve outcomes for people affected by chondrosarcoma while also raising much-needed awareness of primary bone cancer."
To provide the opportunity for post-ramble donations to be made, the bank's JustGiving page will remain live until the end of 2025.
Find out more about Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance.