A group of St Helier midwives known as One More Push will be walking the Isle of Wight coast to fundraise for vital equipment.

The 11-strong group will attempt the Isle of Wight Challenge, a 67 mile walk around the island non-stop with no sleep.

The walk will begin on the morning of Saturday May 5, which is coincidentally International Midwives’ Day.

Suzanne Powroznyk, Labour Ward Manager, said: “This is a fantastic way to raise awareness about the roles of a midwife and to celebrate the achievements of our midwives throughout the year.

“We usually celebrate International Day of the Midwife with an award ceremony and cakes, but this year we will be walking the whole day and night!

“The whole team has been supporting One More Push and we are doing this on behalf of all the midwives in our Trust.”

The idea was hatched by Alison Hide, a longstanding member of St Helier’s maternity unit, who wanted to achieve something special before her 60th birthday in July.

Donations have been very generously received from previous patients and supporters, and some included kind messages.

One said: ‘a big thank you to the team for safely delivering my grandchild, 18 years ago’, with a £300 donation.

Suzanne said: “We are so proud of our unit and have trained hard to do the very best we can.

“We have been training hard over the past year and are now walking marathon distances on a regular basis around the South Coast, Richmond Park and closer to home, and of course, opting for the stairs instead of the lifts where possible.”

Taking it one step further, Midwife Hollie Williams, will also be shaving all her hair off after the walk!

Hollie said: “Shaving my head is definitely something I am more nervous about doing, but if it helps to raise even more funds to help women have a better birthing experience, then I am willing to take on an extra challenge.

“In addition, I will be donating my hair to the Little Princess Trust who make beautiful wigs for children suffering from hair loss.”

One more Push have so far raised more than £5,000 of their £10,000 goal. If you would like to support them, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/onemorepushtodonate