Martlets Hospice: Meet me at midnight
Join the Martlets Hospice for a fundraising night to remember on Friday 18 June
Each year, in mid June, over 1000 women take to the streets of Brighton, armed with flashing bunny ears and cowboy hats, walking to raise funds for the Martlets Hospice.
The Midnight Walk is a 13 mile sponsored walk starting from Brighton Racecourse. This popular annual event is the Martlets biggest fundraiser; last year’s event raised over £165,000 in sponsorship for the Hospice.
The Martlets Hospice provides end of life care services to adults with life limiting illness including cancer. Patients who are dying or need extra support can stay in the 18 bed InPatient Unit, while those who need more long term medical support may visit the Day Hospice on a weekly basis. Practical and emotional support is also offered to the families and carers of patients this includes supporting them through bereavement for as long as they need help.
“There is no escaping the fact that awful things happen to wonderful people, but having the care and support of people like yourselves makes all the difference”
All of these services are provided free of charge. Yet to meet the Martlets patients’ needs it costs £11,815 a day. The Hospice is not part of the NHS and must generate nearly 75 per cent of its funding from charitable sources. The Hospice is well known in the community it serves, and without the community support it simply would not exist.
Ladies, fancy some midnight madness?
Any female can take part in the Midnight Walk; most of the walkers aren’t super fit. What you need is determination mixed with a healthy sense of adventure! “It’s absolutely not about how quickly you can finish the walk, this isn’t a race,” explains Antonia Shepherd, organiser of the Midnight Walk. “For most Midnight Walkers it’s all about dressing up and spending a night walking through Brighton with friends. It’s a girls’ night out really, supporting a local charity. A lot of the women who take part in the Midnight Walk are doing it in memory of someone who has passed away. Others may not have used the Hospice’s services themselves, however the walk can be an important way of supporting friends who’ve lost someone.”
How to register
Walk registration is £12, you can register online at www.martlets-midnightwalk.co.uk, pick up an entry form from any of the Martlets shops, the Hospice itself, the fundraising office (next door to the Martlets Furniture Warehouse).
You’ll need to send your completed entry forms to Martlets Midnight Walk, c/o Sports Systems, Regency House,
61 Walton on the Hill, Tadworth KT20 7RZ.
Frequently asked questions
1 Is there a minimum age to take part?
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult, who takes full responsibility for them.
2 Is there a minimum sponsorship amount?
No, walkers are asked to raise as much money as possible; even £50 does make
a difference. The entry fee is not a donation to the Hospice.
3 I’m not very fit and 13 miles is a long way, will I be able to do it?
Yes, you’ll be sent a training plan when we send your sponsorship forms; a lot of the walkers don’t walk regularly and still complete the course.
4 What’s the Walk route?
It starts and finishes at Brighton Racecourse – more details will be confirmed nearer
the time.
5 How do I raise money for the Hospice?
You’ll need to ask everyone you know, from work colleagues to family and friends. You’ll be sent sponsor forms, you can also set up an online fundraising page which makes it much easier to ask people who you don’t often see.
6 Can men take part?
This is a ladies only event but men are still needed to help us marshal the route and cheer our ladies on.
7 How much of my sponsorship goes to the Hospice?
Your registration fee covers the cost of the walk so every penny you raise goes directly to the Hospice for patient care.
8 Do we get breakfast after the Walk?
You do, a delicious breakfast with unlimited tea and coffee.
