More than £50k raised from Midnight Walk

Some of the ladies who took part in the Springhill Hospice Midnight Walk

Around 500 ladies took part in Springhill Hospice’s fourth Midnight Walk last weekend and in total they raised more than £50,000.

At the stroke of midnight on Saturday (17 July 2010) the women were set off from Middleton Arena by Rochdale actress Sue Devaney and Mayor of Whitworth, David Chorlton, who also acted as ‘sweeper’ for the full 13 mile route.

The first walkers returned back after just 2 hours 45 minutes and the vast majority came back before daylight broke on Sunday morning.

The walk, which left Middleton to go to Heywood via Bowlee and Birch, to return to Middleton via Castleton and Slattocks, was stewarded by static marshals – lots of them whose ‘other halves’ were actually walking – and the MT Head Motor Cycle Club. Those who did not fancy the full 13 miles were able to so the 6 mile walk to Heywood and finish there to be bussed back to Middleton.

Ian Jenkins, Fundraising Manager of the Hospice, said: “What a success this year’s Midnight Walk has proved to be. There are so many people to thank – all the stewards who gave up their Saturday night/Sunday morning, staff at Middleton Arena and Heywood Civic Centre who did the same, my colleagues and volunteers from the Hospice who manned registration at both venues and helped with stewarding, Heywood New Heart Community Transport for the use of a minibus, our friends at PGC for another minibus and helping to serve food and refreshments, and Tony Fawthrop from the Hospice kitchen who made 500 bacon butties and gallons of soup for when the walkers – and stewards – returned in the early hours!!”

Mr Jenkins continued, “We have been delighted with the interest in this year’s event with 524 ladies registering their participation. The atmosphere on the night was superb with lots of laughter and lots of money pledged by our walkers. This has been by far the biggest of the four Midnight Walks we have organised and our wonderful walkers this year have pledged, between them, a fabulous £52,000. Thank you to each and every one of them.”