Hospiscare raises £35k with new fundraiser

Summer Walk deemed a success

More than 450 sun-loving walkers stepped out this weekend [Saturday 8 July] to raise a spectacular £35,000 for Hospiscare.

The local charity’s inaugural summer-themed fundraising walk started at Darts Farm near Topsham, with participants walking seven miles alongside the Exe Estuary to raise funds for end-of-life care for local patients.

Walkers were greeted at Darts Farm with a gelato ice cream, before setting off en masse, first to the Pulling Billy Inn at Exton for a free glass of Pimm’s, then to Cliff Fields at Lympstone for a strawberries and cream picnic.

The fundraisers then retraced their steps to Darts Farm to complete the walk.

Hospiscare Events Fundraiser, Martin Stokke, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to each one of our amazing walkers who helped to make this first Summer Walk such a fabulous event and a great success. The event was designed as a celebration of all things summer, and it didn’t disappoint on that front! But at its heart, Summer Walk is about raising funds to help local patients and families at one of the hardest times and we’re utterly delighted to have raised almost £35,000 and counting for the hospice’s care.

“We’d like thank Darts Farm for hosting the event so beautifully, and our brilliant event sponsor, Jurassic Fibre, as well as the Puffing Bill Inn and all our wonderful volunteers for their support.”

Sarah Hobson, 17, from Tiverton took part in Summer Walk to honour her mum, Lisa, who was cared for by the hospice. Sarah said: “I’m here today because Hospiscare looked after my mum in the last two months of her life and they really helped her and they help us. I just want to help raise funds for the hospice to support the people who helped her”.

Julia Delve from Moretonhampstead walked with her husband John and friend Kerry from Exeter. Julia said: “I’m here to support my husband John and best friend, Kerry, who’ve both had cancer. I’m walking for them and everyone else as well.

We just want to do something to say thank you for all of the help and support we received – and for me as well, with my husband and best friend both having cancer – the hospice’s support has been fantastic.”