A daughter is urging people to put their best foot forward to raise money for the “wonderful” hospice that cared for her mother in her final days.
Ruth Cartwright is calling for volunteers to take part in the Dawn Walk which is a highlight of the annual fundraising calendar at St Kentigern Hospice in St Asaph.
The early morning walk on Saturday, June 14, will give people the chance to hear the dawn chorus and enjoy a beautiful spring sunrise.
In past years the event has attracted a loyal turnout and this spring organisers are hoping to encourage more people than ever along as they have to drawn up a brand new seven mile route.
Ruth became a determined supporter of the hospice following the death of her mum, Jane, from ovarian cancer at the age of just 57.
She said: “Because it is such an early start walkers have chance to see a gorgeous sunrise and they get a hearty breakfast on their return, after which they are guaranteed to be in a good mood for the rest of the day.
Ruth and her family, including her brother, Simon, and father, Stuart, cannot praise the hospice enough.
She said: “The work they do is fantastic, the emotional and practical support they give to families invaluable. My mum loved the people here and the relaxing, peaceful atmosphere. When she died, the staff were so caring of the needs of all our family. I vowed I would continue to support them.”
Ruth, who lives in Greenfield and works as a technical officer with Flintshire County Council, has kept her vow. She has helped out with previous Dawn Walks, volunteering to man the registration desk as people signed up at the starting point. On another occasion she helped organise a sponsored climb up Mount Snowdon in aid of the hospice and, next year, she hopes to join a team planning to hike round the Great Wall of China.
“That will be a big event, for sure, but in the meantime there’s plenty of training to do – and what better way to keep fit than by joining the Dawn Walk? The beauty of it is that it’s not a race or competitive, so everyone can go at their own pace and enjoy the local countryside at one of the most peaceful and tranquil times if the day.”
Last year’s Dawn Walk raised about £11,000 and on a previous occasion it has raised as much as £16,000 the hospice.
St Kentigern is an eight-bed in patient hospice which has 15-place day therapy facilities and provides “excellent” end of life care for those with life-threatening and terminal illness, but has to rely on 80 per cent of its income from the generous donations of the public.
Community fundraiser Lyndsey Thomas said: “We invite as many people as possible to come along and join us and help raise some funds to support the work our dedicated staff do here. Last year we had about 200 people turn out which was fantastic given the early starting time!
“But even if people have done it before we’re keen for them to join us again as we’ve slightly changed the route to make it even more scenic. We’ll be steering clear of the main road and following footpaths and crossing fields before returning to town and finishing at St Asaph Cathedral. There we will have a delicious bacon barbecue going to reward the walkers with a breakfast to remember.”
To take part in the walk there is a registration fee of £10 for those who can pledge to raise a minimum of £25 in sponsorship money or £25 for those without sponsors. For children under 16 entry is £5.
Registration opens at 4.30am and the walk begins at 5am.
Walkers have to be aged 10 or over and between 10 and 16, they must be accompanied by an adult. For further details or to receive a registration form, contact the fundraising office on 01745 585221.
