A group of St Helier Hospital midwives will walk ‘non-stop’ around the Isle of Wight in a bid to purchase equipment for the maternity unit.

Named ‘One More Push!’, the 11 women will walk 67 miles on International Day of the Midwife, May 5, while aiming to reach their £10,000 target.

In preparation for the day, they have been walking tens of miles in groups – both before and after work – while opting for the stairs instead of the lifts where possible.

Mary Willocks, of Banstead Road South, said: “We love walking and we love chatting, we love talking to people that we meet. People like dog walkers and babies in prams. There is such a big group of us with our hats on that people say, ‘Oh, where are you going?’, and we tell them where we have been, what we are doing, and we have a chat with the children and their dogs.

“So it’s very, very social. Much more social than I ever realised.

“When we all signed up and realised it was on the same day [as the International Day of the Midwife] it actually felt even more emotional because we celebrate this day every year at work.

“We have cake sales, we give out cakes, and we have an award ceremony at work – it’s a very special day, perhaps more special than the general public realise.

"When we realised we were walking on May 5, on International Day of the Midwife, as a group of midwives, we knew that it was fate. We had to do this for ourselves, and for our unit, and for our women.”

The group will be participating in the Isle of Wight Challenge by way of fundraising, with the equipment raised going to the delivery suite and the antenatal and postnatal ward.

But whatever is purchased will also come with a plaque which commemorates the donations made by people who donated and everyone’s efforts.

Mrs Willocks, who has been at St Helier Hospital for more than 20 years, added: “Whatever we get, there will be a plaque on it and it will be forever treasured. This piece of equipment was bought and paid for by the kind donations of the staff, patients, ex-patients – we want the best for patients and all the babies at St Helier [hospital].

“It will be thrilling to see that, to come into work and see that small plaque on it.”

Among the walkers is Alison Hide, 60, who has been at St Helier Hospital for more than three decades and she wants to commemorate her time as a midwife with something ‘challenging’.

Meanwhile another is travelling down from Sheffield, in Yorkshire, to participate after undertaking her training at the hospital previously.

A total of £2,470 has been raised, by 83 supporters, at the time of writing.

To see the JustGiving page, click here.