Women Walk at Midnight for Dorothy House

At midnight on Saturday 17 June, over 300 local women came together to raise funds for Dorothy House Hospice Care in this year’s sustainable, carnival-themed Midnight Walk.

Walking in memory of loved ones

Participants were greeted at Bath Pavilion for a night to remember, starting with a glass of prosecco on arrival, sponsored by the Great Wine Co., and served in a bright pink biodegradable champagne flute. Music was provided by the Bath Rock Choir, and there was a rousing speech from two of the Hospice’s trustees – Charity Nichols and Margaret Ndlovu, who also walked to raise funds.

Fitness phenomenon Cheryl Sprinkler led the crowd through her classic ‘Mojo Moves’ to get everyone pumped and ready to take on the late-night 5K.

There was biodegradable glitter galore as the women took to the streets of Bath in style, with 50 members of Bath Rock Choir singing ‘Go Your Own Way’ by Fleetwood Mac as they were waved off.

Everyone was dressed in their own interpretation of the theme, with many having decorated their t-shirts with photos of loved ones they were dedicating their walk to. A memory wall was displayed where participants could dedicate a feather to their special person’s memory.

Raffle prizes were kindly donated by Mulberry, Emmy London and Bowood, and the total raised from the raffle alone exceeded £1,000 on the night.

Why did they walk for Dorothy House?

Kate Bullman walked in memory of her mum, Patti, who was cared for by Dorothy House. Kate says:

“The support that Dorothy House gave to us as a family was incredible and something I had no real understanding of the value of until I met them. From family counselling to their honest and caring advice in the days before her death, they were true angels on earth. I am certain that without our dedicated nurse we would not have had the confidence to make the critical and timely decisions we did, which enabled Mummy to die at home, with us, which is what she had wished for. For that I will be forever grateful to this amazing charity.”

A massive thank you from Dorothy House

An army of over 65 Dorothy House volunteers lined the streets to cheer on the walkers and provide support along the way. Tracey Smith who has been volunteering with Dorothy House for a number of years, said:

“Volunteering at the Dorothy House Midnight Walk is a wonderful experience; the atmosphere is amazing and the Bath Rock Choir made it even better…. they were phenomenal. I find it incredibly rewarding to know that I’m part of the Fundraising Team and am helping this brilliant charity to continue to care for more people in need.’’

Clare Way, Community and Events Fundraiser at Dorothy House said,

“It is amazing that the Midnight Walkers have raised over £40,000 so far for the Hospice. We are really pleased and grateful to everyone who took part in this event. Thank you to everyone who walked, volunteered or contributed towards making it such a huge success.”

Take on a challenge!

We have lots of challenge events running throughout the year, and if you’d like to organise your own event or fundraiser we’re here to help you.

Take a look at our Challenges page to see if there’s one you’d like to take on! We rely on our community to support us so we can continue to provide outstanding palliative care across our 700 square meter area. Take a look here for other ways you can get involved.

If you aren’t able to volunteer, but would like to support your local hospice, we rely upon donations to sustain all of our vital end of life services.

You can make a donation here.