3 January 2023

Katharine House is inviting its supporters to make a New Year’s resolution to support the hospice by taking part in a thrill-seeking or endurance challenge this year. 

Over 1,000 local people took on a challenge in aid of Katharine House in 2022 and this year the hospice has a host of exciting challenges on offer, including sponsored walks, cycle rides, runs, an abseil and a skydive.

On 15 October, runners are once again being invited to take part in the Oxford Half, considered THE half marathon, which sees participants make their way around a scenic 13.1 mile route throughout the University Parks and historic Oxford City Centre.

Not for the faint hearted, a daring abseil down the National Lift Tower in Northampton takes place on 17 June. At a staggering 418 feet, it is now the largest abseil tower in the world.

The hospice’s flagship Moonlight Walk event is back, taking place at Easington Sports Club on Saturday 20 May. This year, Katharine House is ‘Going to the Movies’, and is inviting the hundreds of walkers that take part every year to take on a 6-mile or 10-mile walk dressed as their favourite film star.

Or if thrill-seekers fancy the experience of free-falling through the clouds from 13,000ft, they can take part in a skydive for Katharine House, taking place on 9 September.

Senior Community Nurse for Katharine House Helen Fletcher, who took part in the last skydive for Katharine House, said: "Just do it! I can't say loudly enough just how fantastic and exhilarating the whole experience was. I'd do it again in a heartbeat - not only for me, but for the hospice too. The skydiving team were so supportive and the moment when I sat on the edge of the plane and looked at the clouds before jumping was extraordinary."

Other challenge events include: the Thames Path challenge on 9-10 September where participants walk 25km, 50km or 100km around England’s greatest river; a 25-mile, 50-mile or 75-mile Bike Oxford ride through the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside on 25 June; and a hair-raising hike around some of London’s scary streets and historic haunts as part of the Halloween Walk on 28 October.

Katharine House Events Manager, Helen Lerwill, said: “If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get fit, challenge yourself or try something new, then our events might be just the thing. Turn your personal goal into so much more, by helping to raise money for people living with an incurable illness.”

To find out more about the hospice’s challenge and other fundraising events, visit our What's On page.

Related pages

• To find out more about the work we do, read What we do or explore our For Patients and Families pages.
• To receive regular news about development at the hospice and fundraising events, please sign up to our digital newsletter.