The Martlets Midnight Walk

Think pink

Ready for a girly night on the town? The Martlets Midnight Walk is a night out with a difference

It’s back – the biggest girls’ night out of the year! The Martlets Midnight Walk is happening on Saturday 13 June 2015. Now in its ninth year, the Midnight Walk has raised over a million pounds to enable Martlets nurses to care for local people living with terminal illness. As the Hospice has to raise £9,000 a day to run its services, the money generated by sponsorship on the Midnight Walk is vital, and every single walker makes a difference.

Although many women do the walk because they have a personal connection to the Hospice, others get involved to enjoy a night out with friends, or for a personal challenge. Women of all ages can take part – participants have been as young as 13 – whilst the oldest was a 99 year old lady who was taking part in her first ever fundraising event.

The Midnight Walk always has a great atmosphere as hundreds of women take to the streets of Brighton complete with flashing bunny ears, cowboy hats and face paint, and this year The Martlets are celebrating their 18th birthday, so there will be a real party feel to the night. Dressing up for The Midnight Walk is entirely optional, but for many, planning their outfit is all part of the fun …

This year there are three different routes of varying difficulty, so truly anyone can take part. Choose from a six, 13, or for ladies looking for a challenge, the new 20 mile walk. The six and 13 mile routes will start at midnight from Brighton Racecourse and snake through Brighton and Hove. The 20 mile walk will start at 10pm to allow for the extra distance. Whichever route you choose, marshals are on hand to ensure no one gets lost and you will be welcomed back with a well-deserved tasty breakfast and hot drink.

Antonia Shepherd, who organises the event, said; “It’s absolutely not about how quickly you can finish the walk, this isn’t a race. 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 walk are doing it in memory of someone who has died. Others may not have used the Hospice’s services themselves but the walk can be an important way of supporting friends who have lost someone.”

So, sign up for The Martlets Hospice’s Midnight Walk and join hundreds of women, from all walks of life, who come together to have fun whilst raising money for this vital local charity.

All walkers will be asked to raise a minimum of £25 in sponsorship and anyone who achieves over £125 will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a gorgeous Pandora bracelet, or one of the great runner-up prizes. To enter, visit www.martletsmidnightwalk.co.uk, pick up an entry form at any Martlets shop, or call the Fundraising Department on 01273 747455.

The Martlets Hospice in Hove provides end of life care services to adults with terminal illness, including cancer. Hospice facilities include an 18 bed in-patient unit, a ‘Hospice At Home’ service, and community services for patients living at home. The Patient and Family Support Team offer practical and emotional support to the families and carers of patients including helping them through bereavement.

The Martlets believes everyone is entitled to a good and dignified death. Its main aim is to maximise patients’ quality of life and to support patient choice, dignity and independence. A registered charity, all services are provided free of charge. The Martlets receives less than a third of its funding from the government and so must raise over £9,000 a day to care for patients and their families.

For more information about The Martlets Hospice, visit: www.themartlets.org.uk