The nighttime walkers took on a distance of 2, 7, 13 or 20 miles, starting and finishing at The Bridge Leisure Centre in Broadbridge Heath, with routes going through Horsham town centre. Their routes were marshalled by enthusiastic volunteers who cheered the walkers on and kept them going throughout the night.
The local charity’s flagship fundraiser, which is aiming to raise £120,000, saw people don glitter face paint, light-up boppers and orange tutus before stepping out on their own or as part of a team.
Many people walked in memory of someone close to them and a poignant memory wall at the start was filled with heartfelt tributes to loved ones. People also remembered someone they love in a special remembrance area in Horsham Barn during their walk.
At the end of their challenge, walkers were cheered across the finishing line and given a medal before enjoying a celebration breakfast with a glass of prosecco.
Rina Lloyd took part in her first Midnight Walk with her best friend Barbara Braithwaite. They walked 7 miles in memory of Rina’s mum, Sharda, who was cared for by the hospice and have raised an incredible £1,836 so far.
Asked how they felt ahead of the walk, Barbara said, “We’ve been doing lots of practice walks and are raring to go now!”
Rina added, “My Mum passed away two years ago yesterday so tonight’s walk feels really heartfelt. Barbara’s my bestie and my rock. We’ve both got pictures of Mum on the back of our t-shirts. There’s a photograph of Mum over my heart on the front of my t-shirt too as she’s always in my heart. St Catherine’s cared for Mum until the bitter end and she had the best six weeks she could have because of them. She had her end of life care at home but the hospice was always there and I could ring them anytime. The staff are all so caring and nothing was ever too much effort. The hospice will always be special after taking such great care of my dear Mum.”
Emma Butler, Fundraiser at St Catherine’s who led this year’s Midnight Walk said, “Wow! What a fantastic, humbling and moving night! We are so grateful to all of our walkers as it’s only thanks to the generosity of people like them that we can keep our essential hospice services running. It was really special to witness the energy and enthusiasm that they all brought in support of our crucial work helping people living with a life-limiting or terminal condition, and to see their determination to finish their walks. I hope everyone enjoyed the night as much as we did. I’d also like to thank over 100 volunteers who helped keep our walkers’ spirits up and with any task asked of them. We couldn’t run the Midnight Walk without them and are incredibly grateful for their support too.”
To find out how you can take part in future events for St Catherine's, please visit: www.stch.org.uk/events
