Last updated at 20:35, Thursday, 12 April 2012

If fund-raising manager Bob Barnby can get his legs out for charity, you can tutu!

Bob Barnby

Hospice at Home West Cumbria has put out an urgent appeal for women to sign up to this year’s Midnight Walk.

Entries for the charity’s main fund-raising event are significantly down, with only 400 entries compared to this time in 2010 when there were over 700 people signed up.

Every year, Bob has put on his tutu for the walk to show his solidarity with the women walkers but this year, his tutu has come out early in a bid to encourage more women to get involved in the event.

The six-mile walk around Workington on June 29 is a women-only event which has raised over £300,000 for the charity over the last three years.

Bob said: “Numbers are really down and I am really concerned.

“We need the numbers. This walk is extremely important to us – it is the biggest fund-raising event we do.

“There is no minimum sponsorship and even if the ladies just raise £10 it is £10 that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

The charity needs to raise about £500,000 a year to keep its home nursing and support services going.

The walk will begin at the town’s Tesco store and entrants are encouraged to don pink tutus, flashing bunny ears and any other dressing up gear they can find to really get into the party spirit.

Gillian Johnston, community fund-raiser, said: “We understand that we are in hard economic times and we may not be able to get as much money as we did in Workington two years ago but every penny counts.

“All the money raised stays in West Cumbria to be used to benefit patients in our area.

“Any ladies hanging back from entering, we urge you to get your entry forms in as soon as you can because it really helps us out.

“The Midnight Walk is always a fantastic experience and we have got lots of exciting things planned for the walk this year.”

As part of the charity’s 25th anniversary celebrations this year anyone who raises over £100 will become a Hospice Hero and will have their name written in a special book of heroes and invited to an event in spring 2013.

There will also be a memory wall where walkers can write notes about the loved ones they are doing the walk in memory of, a new start and finish line and a new warm-up routine.

Entry forms for the walk can be can be found at the hospice fund-raising office in Cumberland House on Oxford Street, in any of the hospice’s charity shops or in the Times and Star office on Oxford Street.

Entries can be made online at www.hospiceathomewestcumbira.org.uk

First published at 19:24, Thursday, 12 April 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk