Charity's flagship fundraiser ending after 21 years

A charity is ending its flagship fundraising event after 21 years as it said it needed to do something new in the face of rising costs and changing participation levels.

St Luke's Cheshire Hospice midnight walk began in 2005, and has raised more than £2.5m.

The event sees participants walk under the stars on the route between Nantwich and Crewe, taking on either six or nine miles. The last walk takes place from Reaseheath College on Saturday 27 June.

"Fundraising is difficult, it has always been difficult, and it is more difficult than ever right now, and I think nothing stays the same," said events lead, Debra Sloan, adding that having the midnight walk for 21 years had been amazing.

"I think it's just a time to go out almost on a bit of a high really, rather than wait until it gets really bad," said Sloan, who has arranged the walk for eleven years and "loved it."

Ending it was being seen as a positive, not a negative, and a chance to evolve and find something new and exciting to attract supporters in, she said.

The walk takes six months to plan, and recuiting and organising more than 100 stewards for the route was "pretty much a full-time job."

The decision to stop it had been taken very seriously, because participants had loved it, but something different was needed, as "people want something new."

Discussions were underway on a replacement fundraiser, but it was too soon to reveal the details, she added.

Bookings for the final walk had been a bit slower this year, but people sign up for events last minute now, said Sloan.

"We're really hoping that people will join us for this last midnight walk, they will come together, they will support their local hospice and just have a great night."

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