Published on: Monday 24 May 2021 at 11:37
Hundreds of pups put their best paw forward!
St Clare hosted our rescheduled annual (not so wintry) Winter Walkies fundraiser on Sunday (23rd May 2021), with over 160 local people and their pups turning out to support the charity.
Winter Walkies is a canine-inspired, charity fundraising event normally held every February at the Hospice in Hastingwood. Participants take part in a 5k, sponsored dog-walk through the surrounding Essex countryside, courtesy of the local Paris Hill Farm who each year offer their picturesque fields and farmland for walkers to enjoy.
Over 160 walkers and their dogs attended the rescheduled charity dog walk event on Sunday and contributed towards raising more than an estimated £4,000 in vital funds for the West Essex and East Hertfordshire based charity. That could be enough to fund over 80 home visits from a Hospice at Home nursing assistant to provide vital care and emotional support to a person with a life-limiting illness, in the comfort of their own home.
Events and Challenges Fundraiser at St Clare, Dani De’ath, said, “We were delighted to hold our annual Winter Walkies event at last, after having to postpone due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The weather wasn’t quite as spring-like as we had hoped, but the turnout was still great, which shows just how much of a favourite this annual event is! We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone (and their furry friends) who came along and helped to generate thousands of pounds for our hospice care. Winter Walkies is such a fun way to support a local charity, who needs your support more than ever as we recover from the impact of Coronavirus on our fundraising income. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together, safely, with friends after such a long time apart, and to enjoy a country walk with hundreds of gorgeous pups!”
“As the social contact restrictions continue to lift, we will be hosting lots more events throughout the year to help raise vital funding for St Clare Hospice. So if you’re looking to get some family-fun dates in the diary for 2021, then head over to our website where you’ll find all kinds of events coming up!”
For more events in aid of St Clare Hospice, visit stclarehospice.org.uk/events
This year’s Winter Walkies event was kindly sponsored by Epping-based vets, Forest Veterinary Centre.
Photos courtesy of Vikki Lince Photography.
