Get your walking boots ready for Hospiscare's tenth Men's Walk

Dust off your walking boots and make sure to sign up for Hospiscare’s Men’s Walk this month.

The deadline for entries is Monday, March 15 for anyone looking to sign up to the charity’s flagship charity walk event,

Men’s Walk – Your Way is set to take place on Saturday, March 20 and anyone can sign up.

The deadline to put your name down is March 15, with everyone who signs up by Friday getting a free walker’s pack of goodies delivered to their door.

Because of the pandemic and ongoing restrictions, Hospiscare is inviting members of its community to walk a route of their choice in an area local to them to raise money for the hospice charity’s end-of-life care.

By signing up to the event, walkers will receive their own Men’s Walk T-shirt to wear on the walk plus a bottle of special Men’s Walk beer from Exeter Brewery and a Chunk of Devon pasty to keep energy levels up.

Hospiscare cares for over 2,000 patients in Exeter, Mid and East Devon,  facing terminal illnesses every year, and their families.

The charity receives just 18 per cent of its funding from the NHS and relies on community support to provide its specialist end-of-life care at no cost to patients and their families.

Of those walking, including Mid Devon Show director and coach at Tiverton Town Football Club Colin Nation and his son Daniel who will be walking the length of the Grand Western Canal from Greenham to Tiverton.

“Each year I do look at it and think it would be nice to join in with but with my other football commitments it’s always clashed on those Saturdays” he said. “This year there’s no football.

“With Hospiscare being the Mid Devon Show charity this year, I thought there was no better opportunity to support them, and do something I’ve been wanting to do for a couple of years while spending some time with my son along the canal.

We’re starting at Lowdwells Lock and finishing at the basin in Tiverton which is around 18km. It’s not massively far, but it’s still a good stroll.”

A special celebratory beer has brewed for the event by Exeter Brewery.

The Men’s Walk 10th anniversary beer is an ‘Avocet’ ale made with with three varieties of organic hop.

It has been designed and produced by Exeter Brewery at no cost to Hospiscare.

Alan Collyer, owner and MD of Exeter Brewery, said: “We are proud of our support of Hospiscare and their Men’s Walk.

“I have completed the walk myself each year and it is a really enjoyable and worthwhile day. When it became obvious that the normal event could not take place this year, I still wanted to donate in some way.

“When I was told it was the tenth anniversary, a celebratory beer seemed an obvious and appropriate way in which we could help. We are delighted to be able to donate the ale, but also look forward to the proper event resuming next year and I encourage any guys reading this to join in.”

Roger Wilkinson, of Wilkinson Grant, the event sponsor, said: “Men’s Walk is such a brilliant event and we’re delighted to be supporting it in 2021 for its 10th anniversary.

“Hospiscare does such amazing work across our region, giving outstanding care to people during the most difficult times, and the charity has never needed community support more than this year.

“The community spirit for this event is always so strong and I know that will be no different in this anniversary year, even if we can’t all walk together.”

Martin Stokke, events fundraiser at Hospiscare, added: “Men’s Walk is an incredible event and it’s the participants themselves and the support of local businesses such as Exeter Brewery that help to make it so special.

“Although it will look slightly different this year, we know that this year’s walkers are going to have a brilliant time celebrating the tenth anniversary with a quality beer and a pasty while raising much-needed funds for Hospiscare’s specialist end-of-life care.

“With Hospiscare facing a million-pound loss this year due to the pandemic, we’ve never needed the support of local people more.”

To sign up to the tenth anniversary Men’s Walk and get your bottle of Men’s Walk ale visit hospiscare.co.uk/menswalk.

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