Hundreds of people -- some carrying water buckets on their heads -- are expected to walk a mile along the River Ock to the old County Hall in Abingdon on June 25 where they will wrap the building in a giant 'Make Poverty History' band.

The walk -- organised by Christian relief and development agency Tearfund and supported by the mayor of Abingdon, Alison Rooke, local churches, schools and Christian Aid -- will leave Abingdon Baptist Church car park in Ock Street.

The route will take walkers along a stretch of the River Ock and back into the town centre, culminating at County Hall in the Market Place.

Walkers will sign postcards to Tony Blair urging him and Government leaders to make "bold decisions" aimed at halving poverty when they meet in Gleneagles, Scotland, next month.

Tearfund's regional manager Lindsay Lonchar said: "By walking and writing postcards we are joining millions of people in the UK and around the world who are calling for world leaders to make real progress in areas such as more just global trading rules, debt cancellation for poor countries and more and better spent aid for poor communities."

The optional bucket of water for the walk is to echo the story of Joyce Mbwilo from Tanzania who in her lifetime will walk the equivalent of three times around the world to collect one daily bucket of water for her family.

Joyce, who has featured on national television in the UK, walks for 10 hours each night to fetch water.

Mrs Lonchar said: "There is a public rally in Edinburgh on July 2. We recognise there are many people who will not be able to attend but want to speak up on behalf of the millions trapped in poverty."

They wanted to invite anyone who felt it was wrong 30,000 children died every day from preventable poverty to join the walk.

She added: "If that many children were dying in the UK every day we would do something to stop it and fast. When we go to the G8 rally on July 2 we want to be able to say that the people of Abingdon cared."