View photos from the Flower Power Midnight Walk here and here. With thanks to Modern Parlance Photos and Carol Ann Photos

On Saturday 22 June, nearly 600 people from the local community took to the streets for a ten-mile walk at midnight to raise money for people and families facing cancer, heart failure, motor neurone disease and other life-limiting illnesses. The event is expected to raise up to £65,000 for Katharine House Hospice.

That £65,000 could ensure that Katharine House’s Community Nurses can support patients and families in the community at weekends and on bank holidays, as well as the normal service during the week. The community nursing team is just one of the services the hospice provides, with other services including an inpatient unit, a Living Well Centre, and bereavement support for people who have lost someone special. 

The theme for Saturday’s Midnight Walk was Flower Power, and there was a fantastic array of 60s costumes on display to celebrate 50 years since the summer of love with people showing some love to their local hospice.

Chris Higgins, Marketing and Communications Manager at Katharine House, said;

‘This year’s Midnight Walk was our best event yet, and to have nearly 600 people out in force and raising money shows just how much support there is for local hospice care.

The need for Katharine House’s services is growing all the time. Whether it’s people staying in our hospice at the end of their lives, people who need support to live with their illness in their own homes or in a care home, or children, teenagers, and adults who need help coming to terms with the loss of someone special, the money raised at this year’s walk will make a real difference to the lives of local families.

We have to raise £6 every minute to provide our services, and we simply couldn’t carry on supporting the people who need us without the fantastic support of local people who fundraise with their Midnight Walks, marathons, cake sales and other events. A huge thank you to all who took part – it’s greatly appreciated by staff and patients at the hospice.’

Many of those who took part in the walk have a connection with the hospice, and chose to join the event in memory of friends or family members who have been care for by Katharine House. Others may not have direct experience of the hospice’s services, but took part because of the work the hospice does for local people. 

Mark took part in the walk in memory of his brother who was supported at home by Katharine House’s community team throughout his illness;

‘What a night! If ever there was a way to celebrate what Katharine House does for people in Banburyshire, this is it. I met new friends and it was a wonderful way to remember people who are no longer here. Fundraising is so important to keep Katharine House going, and I’m proud of everyone who turned out to help ensure it’s still around for many years to come.’