Phyllis Tuckwell’s Walk for the Wards has raised over £18,000 for local Hospice Care! Held on Sunday 14th August, a beautifully warm and sunny day, the annual sponsored walk saw around 150 people join together with friends, family and work colleagues to complete the route, which took them through the beautiful Surrey countryside around the picturesque village of Tilford.
Because of the hot weather, Phyllis Tuckwell reduced the route length of the walk to five miles, instead of giving the usual option of a five or ten mile route. This meant that walkers could stop after five miles if they felt that it was too hot to continue, while those who wanted to walk further could do a second lap of the five mile route.
Lots of people who had signed up to take part in the walk decided not to take part on the day because the weather was so hot, and instead walked the route on a different day, or are planning to walk it in the coming weeks, now that it is cooler. Phyllis Tuckwell had already had to move the date of the Walk once due to the July heatwave. One couple who had signed up to take part in July couldn’t make the August date as they were on holiday in Wales, so they decided to do their ‘Walk for the Wards’ up Mount Snowdon instead, at the same time as their fellow fundraisers did their walk around Tilford!
Walkers were asked to raise a minimum of £25 each in sponsorship, with all of the money going directly to help fund the supportive and end of life care which Phyllis Tuckwell provides for local patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. Many took part in memory of a loved one, and at the end of the walk everyone who took part was offered a free ice cream.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s Walk for the Wards, all those who sponsored them, and of course our wonderful volunteers who helped on the day, without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to hold this event,” said Fiona Chapman, Events Fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. “We would also like to thank Spire Clare Park Hospital who kindly sponsored the walk, Meadow Farm Ice Cream in Churt who supplied the delicious ice creams, and DJK Electrical Contractors Ltd who sponsored the ice creams.”
Phyllis Tuckwell is a charity and only usually receives around 20% of its funding from the NHS/Government, which means it has to raise over £25,000 a day to be able to continue providing its care. £18,000 could cover the cost of its Living Well service for almost two weeks. Supporting around 630 patients a year, this important service includes two eight-week programmes which offer weekly sessions focussing on different aspects of living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as managing fatigue, remaining active, and using therapies to ease anxiety and tension. Patients and their loved ones find these sessions immensely helpful, and also appreciate being able to meet and get to know others in the groups.
If you would like to find out more about other Phyllis Tuckwell fundraising events, please visit www.pth.org.uk/events