Popular Worthing Night to Remember midnight walk gets a new look for 2020

Fans of Night to Remember in Worthing will not be disappointed – St Barnabas House hospice has given the popular midnight walk a new look and turned it into a virtual sunrise event.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Organisers said they had to think outside the box at a time of numerous postponements and cancellations due to Covid-19.

Desperate to keep the annual walk on the programme, the events team has come up with Sunrise to Remember: Virtual Edition, a new-look challenge that fits in with current government restrictions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sophie Henderson, events fundraiser at St Barnabas House, said: “Feedback from those who have signed up to take part in Night to Remember is that they would be really disappointed if they were unable to take part, so we’ve worked hard behind the scenes to come up with a way for them to do so whilst keeping safe and adhering to government guidelines.”

Marie Hamilton and her team Glads Girls at her first Night to Remember walk in 2016Marie Hamilton and her team Glads Girls at her first Night to Remember walk in 2016
Marie Hamilton and her team Glads Girls at her first Night to Remember walk in 2016

Marie Hamilton, 41, from Worthing, is excited about the new look and relieved the walk is going ahead, having taken part in Night to Remember for the past four years.

She will be walking in memory of her mother, Kate Gladden, alongside her eight-year-old daughter, Beth.

Marie said: “Mum and Beth were so close, so it’s lovely for her to be able to take part and so special for me to have her by my side doing the walk together. My son, Frank, wants to join in too but he’s only five and I’m not sure he’d make the seven miles.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kate was diagnosed with bile duct cancer, a rare and untreatable condition, in 2015 and received end-of-life care from the Hospice at Home team.

Marie Hamilton, third from left, in 2018, walking for the third timeMarie Hamilton, third from left, in 2018, walking for the third time
Marie Hamilton, third from left, in 2018, walking for the third time

Since she died in 2016, Marie has so far raised £21,365 for St Barnabas House in her memory, with the help of her team, Glad Girls.

Marie said: “St Barnabas looked after Mum so well, so it is the least we can do to say thank you.

“The Hospice at Home team were incredible and we are forever grateful to them for being there in our darkest hours. Mum was at ease as soon as the team turned up and we knew we were in safe hands while we went through the hardest thing we ever had to do.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It took away a lot of fear that Mum and the rest of the family were feeling. We were also supported a long time afterwards.”

Marie says the walk is ‘an incredible thing to be part of’ and urges others to take part this year.

Sunrise to Remember: Virtual Edition takes place on Saturday, September 12.

Instead of walking through the night, hundreds of supporters will be setting off from their homes at sunrise and walking from darkness into light on a seven-mile route of their choice.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Registration is £12 per person, free for children under 16. Sign up at www.stbh.org.uk/nighttoremember

Sophie said: “Whilst walkers will be physically walking apart from other participants, we’ll be bringing everyone together on the day, virtually, by broadcasting live on Facebook and YouTube both before and after their walk.

“The event holds a very special place in our hearts and we know it means a lot to the local community, too. It was a tough decision to change the event but the wellbeing of our patients, families, supporters, staff and volunteers is always at the forefront of every decision we make.

“The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in families needing our support, so we would love as many people as possible to get involved so we can continue providing care for local people, now and in the future.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.

Related topics: