The futures industry has come together Friday to support market charity, Futures for Kids, beginning this morning with the London Stock Exchange dedicating the iconic market open ceremony to the charity.

While firms, trustees, supporters and media attended the market open, across London the Futures for Kids Walk to Work was also beginning – a 30 mile walk into the city.

More than 70 participants are taking part in the walk this year, including a team from FOW.

The team are currently three hours and seven miles into the 30 mile Walk to Work. 

Team FOW - all of whom have not taken part before - includes editor Luke Jeffs, reporter Cian Burke, senior business development manager Hanna De Bank, events manager Yasmin Okolo, and marketing executive Francisco Calvao.

Futures firms backing the day include ABN Amro, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, GH Financials, INTL FC Stone as well as exchanges CME, Nasdaq NLX and the LSE’s LCH.Clearnet, tech firms Fidessa, Trading Technologies, Cinnober and Ullink, and Kite, the consultancy.

German exchange Eurex is the lead sponsor on the Walk-to-Work which will involve 60 futures executives walking though some of London’s parks before collapsing near or at the Grange City Hotel near Tower Hill.

The London Stock Exchange dedicated its iconic market open to raise awareness and funds for the day on Friday.

Other – less sweat inducing - events planned for today include office dress down days, raffles, cake sakes and the Food for A Day campaign. A recent survey said City workers spend £10.59 on breakfast, lunch and coffee each day, so Futures for Kids is asking that market participants for one day donate this amount instead.

"By having a specific Futures for Kids day we hope to focus the efforts of people from all parts of our industry into raising funds for the marvellous charities we support," said David Setters, a FFK trustee - pictured left with FOW's Alice Attwood.

Team FOW still has a little way to go to reach our fundraising target so please check out our JustGiving page and help us reach 100% before the end of the walk: http://bit.ly/1aYXTpF

FFK is supporting five charities: Hope HIV; Variety; Demelza; Kids in Kathmandu; and Hi Cap.

The Walk to Work has raised more than £180,000 since its inception, with funds raised by Futures for Kids so far surpassing £2 million since FFK was launched in 2008 by a group of individuals from the futures and options industry in order to provide a focus to fund children’s charities at home and abroad.

For more information please contact David Setters on davidsetters57@gmail.com

To donate in support of the Walk-to-Work: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/FFKwalktowork2015

To support the charity’s Food for a Day effort: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2665715/Coffee-snacks-cost-workers-2-500-year-say-dont-factor-spending-daily-budgets.html