Spirit of Bury St Edmunds Girls Night Out continues as fund-raisers set their own challenges

Covid-19 will not take away the spirit of walkers in one of the biggest fund-raising events in Bury St Edmunds , even if restrictions mean participants will be alone or in small groups.

Women will be donning traditional pyjamas and bunny ears tomorrow for the St Nicholas Hospice Care’s Girls Night Out event, which is sponsored by Jaynic.

While walkers would traditionally gather on Angel Hill and complete either a six or 11.2-mile route, organisers have asked participants to set themselves their own walking challenge and complete it closer to home.

But a sense of community will be assured as walkers will be brought together virtually between 4pm and 9pm with a live podcast on Facebook and YouTube.

Faye Fuller, senior hospice nurse, said: “We were all very disappointed it couldn’t go ahead in the usual way. It is something we’ve enjoyed taking part in as a team and know how important the funds raised by it are.

“Covid-19 has disrupted a lot of things including delays in treatments and diagnoses. In the long-term, this may lead to more people needing care so we’re all conscious of how important fund-raising will be for the future.”

Girls Night Out is one of the biggest annual fund-raisers for St Nicholas Hospice, a charity which provides care for people in west Suffolk and Thetford who have long-term and life-threatening illnesses, as well as providing support for their families.

The podcast will include a ‘virtual memory wall’ with tributes to lost loved ones who have been helped by St Nicholas Hospice.

One of the walkers will be Jessica Faiers, whose mother Jenny died last year but received ‘outstanding’ support from the hospice.

She said: “My very special mum had a love for life, having fun and helping other people so she would be so delighted to know that we are dressing up and walking for the hospice.”

For those wanting to take part in the walk, there is a suggested £20 donation and any sponsorship money will be ‘gratefully’ received by the charity.

To sign up, or find out more, visit www.girlsnightoutwalk.co.uk

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