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Katharine House Midnight Walk – reimagined for vital funds
31/07/2020
Call for support for popular fund-raising event which will take place after all, but in a new virtual format
Each June hundreds of people usually gather for one of the Katharine House Hospice’s biggest and most popular fund-raising events – The Midnight Walk. This year’s event was just one of many that couldn’t take place as planned due to coronavirus. Now the team at the Hospice have “reimagined” the Midnight Walk so it can happen after all, in a new virtual format.
Cherida Plumb, Community and Events Fundraising Manager, told us, “It’s a lot more flexible. If people can go out and ‘reimagine’ their own walk – walk where you want, when you want and with who you want. Ideally we would like people to walk between the 10th and 19th of September”.
Walkers will be encouraged to send in photos and videos. The Hospice will be using a new online platform which will enable walkers to give updates on their progress. For those in a competitive mood leader boards will display how many miles people have completed. The Hospice hopes this will enable some of the community spirit of the normal event to be shared by those taking part in the Reimagined Midnight Walk.
Last year Katharine House revealed a budgeted funding gap of £435,000 for the current year. The coronavirus pandemic has made the situation far worse with many of the Hospice’s fund raising activities having to be curtailed.
Cherida said, “The Midnight Walk usually raises around £65,000 for us each year. Taking it on-line is really going to affect that, so we really need people to try and raise as much money as they can”.
There will be no registration fee charged for taking part this year, but all walkers will still receive their Midnight Walk medal. The Hospice is asking all those joining in to raise a minimum of £45 in sponsorship.
David Neal has walked 13 Midnight Walks since his mother died from breast cancer and was cared for by Katharine House. Last year while on holiday at the same time as the big event, David set out on his own Midnight Walk around East Lothian.
David said,“I took my Midnight Walk out on tour last year along with my wife Janice, and had a fine time planning it, meeting new friends, and sharing my experiences on Twitter. The walk took us across wildflower meadows, past bemused cows, and over awkward stiles into the night, before finally celebrating achieving our tenth mile with a very welcome bacon buttie. I’m looking forward to being a part of Midnight Walk Reimagined this year and urge everyone to do the same.”
To join in the fun and help raise vital funds for Katharine House sign-up at www.khh.org.uk/midnight20.
You can hear our interview with Cherida Plumb here:
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam