Helen works in the Community Engagement team as our Events Projects Manager. Along with colleague Carley, she makes sure that our annual big fundraising events – the Moonlight Walk and Santa Fun Run, in particular – run like clockwork. Here she tells us about what a day in her life is like.

"Part of the appeal of working in Events Fundraising is the unpredictability of my working days. They vary a lot depending on what events we’re running. Over the years, my work in charity fundraising events has taken me up and down mountains, to remote corners of the world and hob-nobbing with celebrities. Since joining Katharine House, I can also add running around dressed as Batman’s sidekick, Robin, to the list.

I’m generally sitting at my desk by 9am catching up on emails. I divide my working week between working at the hospice for three days and working as a Forest School Leader in a local primary school. I depend on lots of lists and plans to help me quickly pick up where I left off – it’s fun having two completely different jobs, but it can get a bit hectic at times!

I’m currently working on our flagship fundraising event the Moonlight Walk.

By 10am, I’m genning up on the project plan of actions for the week. We do all the event logistics, admin and marketing in-house, so it’s really important to keep communication flowing. We’re a close-knit team and it’s great to work with such dedicated, energetic and passionate people to try to make our events the best they can be. They’re up for anything to make the event successful for the hospice, which this year has involved dressing up as Buzz Lightyear, Shrek, Fiona, Darth Vadar!

The safety and enjoyment of our walkers is of the upmost importance, so we’ve recently recced and risk assessed our route.

I feel very lucky to have a job where I can be active and get outdoors. I’ve been working for the hospice for 5 years and generally walk the Moonlight Walk route two to three times before the event takes place.

The Moonlight Walk is a huge event and takes almost six months of planning. This afternoon, I’m focusing on getting enough volunteers to marshal the event. We need over 100 (!) volunteers who are willing to give up their time to help set up the event on the Friday before the walk and then stewarding, marshalling and de-rigging on the day itself. 

I’m also about to go to a local butcher who is supplying some of the bacon for the rolls we give the walkers on finishing. Despite being a vegetarian(!), these are some of the best bits about organising an event like this; thinking about the pride that everyone has when they have got to the end and tucking into a bacon (or vegetarian option) roll.

With such a great team of staff and volunteers behind me, I love making the event bigger and better than before. Over the past few years, we’ve brought in live music, picnics and our coveted sponsor a mile spots. This year, we have everyone from the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker involved (well, maybe not the candlestick maker!), but lots of local companies, churches and other community organisations supporting us to raise as much as we can for the hospice. It’s a real community affair!

I can’t wait to see what everyone is wearing for this year’s ‘Movies’  theme – our walkers get more and more creative every year. It’s such a brilliant way to have some fun and celebrate the work of the hospice.

Sign up now!

To sign up this year's Moonlight Walk, visit our Moonlight Walk event page, by clicking on the link below.

Moonlight Walk goes to the movies

Katharine House Hospice

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