A CHARITY which helped Romsey's Hartley brothers find bone marrow donors is organising a fundraiser to help save more lives.

The Anthony Nolan Trust wants as many local people as possible to take part in a four-mile walk around Broadlands Estate at Romsey, the historic home of Lord Mountbatten.

Dubbed Walk 4 Life, the event will take place on Sunday, May 22.

Participants will be able to walk or run their way around the 4.2-mile course, with all sponsorship money going to the trust.

The circular route will be suitable for all age groups, abilities and fitness levels as it is completely level.

Starting from the main entrance, the path goes around the back of the house, through the estate's farmland and turns at the River Test, where walkers can stop for a picnic on the meadow.

Entry to Walk 4 Life costs £2.50 for adults or £1.50 for under-18s. Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead.

Fees include parking, use of the private grounds and a certificate.

The charity exists to save the lives of adults and children suffering from leukaemia and related diseases.

It operates a register of more than 350,000 volunteers willing to donate some of their blood stem cells, should their tissue type match that of a patient in need.

It costs £70 to fully tissue type each new donor but no government or lottery funding is received.

Now the trust wants to raise more money to help expand its register to top 500,000 - significantly improving the chances of identifying a donor in time.

Last year, the charity helped find bone marrow donors for Romsey's Hartley family.

Joshua, 12, Nathan, 11, Daniel, 8, and four-year-old Luke all suffer from one of the world's rarest genetic disorders, X-Linked Lympho-proliferative Syndrome (XLP).

Thanks to a massive appeal, all four brothers have now found donors, giving them a chance of living beyond their teens.

For more information, contact the Anthony Nolan Trust's regional office on 01865 875757/8.