This special event offers a meaningful opportunity to celebrate and remember loved ones, while raising money for vital hospice care services.
As twilight descends, participants will embark on a 5-mile walk starting at the serene gardens, illuminated by the glow of lanterns and the warmth of shared memories. The evening begins with a moment of reflection, allowing attendees to remember those they have lost.
Cousins Sarah and Stephanie took part in the walk last year, along with family members in tribute to Sarah’s mom, Ellen.
Ellen was cared for in the hospice’s Inpatient Unit, after her stage four cancer diagnosis made her too poorly to stay at home.
Commenting on the hospice, Sarah said: “It was just an amazing place, she was really well looked after and cared for, and the most important thing was that Mom just felt really safe. We all felt as a family that we’d been caught by angels – it was like a little piece of heaven.”
Just two months after Ellen’s funeral Sarah and Stephanie, along with family members, signed up for Birmingham Hospice’s in-memory event and raised over £2,000.
Reflecting on the event, Sarah said: “It was an emotional but uplifting day, everyone was made to feel really welcome and there were lots of lovely messages people had shared about their loved ones, it almost felt like you were part of a family.”
She added: “I would encourage people to sign up and fundraise, hospices are so important, they provide an incredible service and are currently hugely underfunded, so events like this can make a real difference.”
Highlighting the impact the walk will have, Senior Fundraising Project Manager, Rebecca Richards, said: “We are hoping to raise £20,000 from this event which could pay for 38 days of specialist nursing support in our Inpatient Units. Every pound raised at the Hearts and Stars Memory Walk will help ensure that individuals facing life-limiting illnesses receive compassionate care in their final days, and that their families are supported.”
You can sign up for the Hearts and Stars Memory Walk at www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/memorywalk
Registration fee is £15 for adults, £5 for under 18s and £50 for teams of 5. Walkers are encouraged to fundraise in memory of their loved ones, with all proceeds going towards supporting Birmingham Hospice.