Hundreds attend local Hospice event to remember lost loved ones

MORE than 260 local people turned out to support St Clare Hospice on Sunday 15th September 2019 to take part in the charity’s inaugural Walking in Memory event – a 5k memorial walk throughout the local, Essex countryside.

Starting from the Hospice at 11am, the 5k walk wound through the local Hastingwood countryside (courtesy of Paris Hall Farm), taking hundreds of people on a thoughtful journey as they gathered to remember lost loved ones.

“Seeing so many people gather at St Clare to remember and celebrate the lives of family members, friends and loved ones was beautiful and touching,” reflects Sarah Thompson, Chief Executive at St Clare Hospice. “It just really brought home to us the importance of community, and supporting each other when facing loss and bereavement – and what an honour it is to be able to host an event like Walking in Memory for the people of West Essex and East Herts.”

One of the highlights of the day was the memorial display of “a sea of windmills, gently turning in the breeze,” remarks St Clare’s Events Fundraiser, Emma Broadbent, who organised Walking in Memory.

“It was such a poignant moment when the windmill display was complete – hundreds of windmills, each representing someone who is dearly missed, standing together around our Hospice pond,” Emma says. “Walking in Memory was a pleasure to organise, and we’ll be looking to host similar events each year as part of our mission to support local people facing death, dying and bereavement, in any way we can.”

However, Walking in Memory meant so much more than only the event itself – with participants’ tickets and sponsorship money totalling more than £10,000 in vital funding for the Hospice.