Families and fundraisers are invited to enjoy a midsummer ramble through the beautiful Kent countryside with the KM Charity Walk.

The walk takes place on Sunday, June 23 – two days after the summer solstice and the longest day of the year.

Participants can either take part just for fun or to raise money for charities of their choice, and headline partner Specsavers is urging families to step out and make a real difference for their favourite good causes.

Ruth Warren, manager at the firm’s Maidstone store, said: “All of us at Specsavers are delighted to be supporting the KM Charity Walk. It brings people together from all walks of life to support local and national good causes, and is a really fun day out for all the family.

“We have supported the walk as a business for many years – too many to remember in fact – for that reason. It is fun and friendly, and good exercise too, and the difference that the money raised makes is priceless.”

There is a choice of 10 and five-mile routes taking walkers between the Grade II listed Georgian mansion Mote House and Leeds Castle.

Ruth added: “We would encourage everyone to sign up for the walk, whether they take on the shorter family walk or the more challenging, longer ramble.

“What better chance is there to see nature at its best in our beautiful county, the Garden of England, while making a real difference for charity?”

Seventy per cent of the money raised will go to the participants’ chosen charities, with the rest helping to fund the KM Charity Team’s child-literacy, green-travel and road-safety work.

And any individual raising more than £200 will be entered into a prize draw to win two free Eurostar tickets.

The cost is £11.50 for adults for online bookings, and £15 otherwise. There is a £1.50 discount when using the code KMNews19. Children go free.

In addition to the Specsavers and Eurostar, the walk is supported by Benenden Hospital Trust, Maidstone Ramblers, Maidstone Riverside Rotary, Simply Ice Cream, the Woodstove Trading Company, the Wellbeing People, the Kent Wildlife Trust, Mote House and Stronger Kent Communities.

For KM Charity Walk bookings and information, see kmcharitywalk.co.uk or contact KM Charity Team events and fundraising officer Sophie Wallace at swallace@thekmgroup.co.uk.