Thousand-plus take to streets for Sobell Ladies In Night Walk

More than 1,000 ladies, gents and their dogs took to the streets and walked through the night to raise vital funds for the hospice in Northwood.

This year’s walk was the biggest and most successful yet since the event began six years ago and the hospice fund-raising Team is expecting it to raise around £100,000.

The walk, sponsored by Savills Estate Agents in Northwood, had more than 60 teams made up of friends and family, community groups, businesses and schools.

Many of the walkers were dressed in pink accessories with cowboy hats, jewellery and bunny ears - and there were even flashing dog bones for the pooches.

Walkers took on the challenge of a 5.5 or 9-mile route. They were greeted at several water stops with fruit, sweets and chocolate to keep them going until they finished back at the hospice for a hot drink and breakfast.

The event kicked off with a lively warm-up session on the lawn given by Angelo Pignone and his team from Highgrove Leisure Centre.

Walkers were entertained by ladies on stilts and fire performers from Adorabella Entertainment.

There was live music along the route to keep them entertained, and many pathways and messages were lit up by glowsticks.

The Gymophobics Team of 13 from Gymophobics in Ruislip Manor, with team leader and gym instructor Martinne Aston.

She said: “This was the fifth year year we have taken part. Our team was made up of three instructors and 10 members all dressed as Minnie Mouse.”

The Harefield Hotties were a team of 12 led by Sarah Timms, from Harefield, who were walking in memory of their good friend, Caron Mitchell, who died in March at MSH.

Mother and daughter team Alison and Amy King, from Uxbridge, were walking in memory of John Hillier, Alison’s dad and Amy’s grandad.

A team from Nexen, a firm, in Uxbridge, also took part in memory of a colleague, Linda Blake, who died in February following a two year battle with cancer.