Stars shine at fun-filled walk for Hospiscare

More than 400 women from Exeter, Mid and East Devon gathered in Exmouth at the weekend wearing flashing bunny ears to enjoy a night out with the girls while walking 12k for Hospiscare.

The Starlight Walk is one of the charity’s biggest annual events and this year the women enjoyed a new route that took them along the seafront and out into the Exmouth Countryside.

The evening began at Exmouth Rugby Club where the women enjoyed a warm-up session given by a Zumba instructor, Debra from Zumba Exmouth, with players from the club joining in to show their support.

A team from walk sponsors Palmers, Whitton & Laing joined in the fun of the evening donning the flashing bunny ears as they completed the night-time walk alongside the hundreds of other women taking part.

This was the second time Palmers, Whitton & Laing administrator Pam Preston had taken part in the event. She said: “I’m really excited about it; it’s a great route that they’ve chosen. [The atmosphere] is electric.

When asked why Whitton & Laing had decided to sponsor the event Pam said that Hospiscare is a charity that is close to heart of one of the partners of the company, Philip Muzzlewhite. She said “Everyone’s got someone they know that’s been in the hospice, it’s a great charity”

BBC Radio Devon’s Judi Spiers, who is an ambassador for Hospiscare, also took part in the event completing the walk for the first time for the charity. She said: “only a few years ago, people used to say things like I am only one person, what can I do? But then one person knows another person, has another friend and before you know it, you have an event like this. I just think it’s wonderful the way people are pulling together”

Many women took part in the event to walk in memory of a loved one who has died after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Hospiscare entered its first-ever staff team this year, with more than 25 nurses, therapists, administrators and volunteers walking alongside the women who had taken the time to raise money for Hospiscare.

Hospiscare Director of Nursing Liz Gibbons said: “One of the things we want to do is to get in amongst the crowd and chat to people and thank them for their support.”

Thank you cards which were hand made by patients were handed out to walkers as they returned by the Mayor of Exmouth, John Humphreys, a keen supporter of the walk.

Hospiscare gives high-quality care and dedicated free-of-charge support to people who are terminally ill. Hospiscare is your local hospice charity for Exeter, Mid and East Devon.

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