Nearly 700 People Walk through the Night for St Catherine’s Hospice

Nearly 700 people took to the streets of Horsham on 7th June to raise money for their local hospice as part of St Catherine’s Hospice Midnight Walk.

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. The routes were marshalled by enthusiastic volunteers whose cheers of encouragement kept spirits high and motivated walkers to keep going throughout the night.

The charity’s flagship fundraiser, which has already raised more than £110,000, 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 precious photos and heartfelt tributes to loved ones. A reflective area under the bandstand in Horsham Park provided another moment of remembrance, where walkers wrote a special message and lit a lantern.

At the end of their walk, challengers were cheered across the finish line and given a medal before enjoying a celebratory breakfast with a glass of prosecco.

Amy Smith took on the 13-mile route. When asked what motivated her to take part, Amy said:

“I’m taking part in the Midnight Walk for my dad, who lost his battle with cancer three months ago. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. Even though he was only in the hospice for 24 hours, the care we received was amazing, not just for him but for all of us as a family. The staff let us stay the night with him and it was the little things that made it that bit easier. I wanted to do the walk to honour my dad’s memory, as well as raise money for St Catherine’s.”

Emma Butler, Fundraiser at St Catherine’s who led this year’s Midnight Walk said, “What a fantastic, humbling and truly inspiring night. It was incredible to see so many local people come together with such energy and enthusiasm as they stepped out under the stars in support of our hospice. The amount our walkers have raised is truly remarkable, and after a particularly challenging year for St Catherine’s, their fundraising will enable us to continue delivering specialist care to local families who need us. We’re also incredibly grateful to all of the volunteers who helped the Midnight Walk to run smoothly. More than 100 volunteers supported the event, and we really couldn’t have done it without them. We hope everyone enjoyed the night as much as we did. Bring on next year!”

 To find out how you can take part in future events for St Catherine’s, click here!