‘Loose woman’ supports hospice charity midnight walk

WITH less than a month to go until the fifth Gemstone Midnight Walk on Saturday, July 12, in aid of the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC), actress and TV presenter Lynda Bellingham has once again lent her support to the event, with a few words of encouragement for walkers taking part.

Lynda bellingham wearing the trade-mark Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity pink bunny ears

Lynda, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, has been a long-term supporter of the Florence Nightingale Hospice, and said: “This is a wonderful event in support of the Hospice, which is celebrating over 25 years of local Hospice care. In this very special anniversary year, please show your continued support by taking on the Gemstone Midnight Walk challenge alongside family, friends and loved ones. I’ll be thinking of you all on Saturday,  July 12 – good luck.”

With a few special silver tweaks, including 25 male walkers in celebration of the Silver Jubilee year taking on the challenge alongside over 600 ladies, plus changes to this year’s route – all six and 13-mile walkers will start and finish at Aylesbury College, Oxford Road, there will be some changes made to the route itself.

The ever-popular walker ‘pitstops’ will of course include the must-have walker energy boost, Jelly Babies, and will see Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre, opening its doors on the night with a Cinderella-theme in celebration of December’s Christmas panto. FNHC has been the chosen charity of the theatre since it opened in October 2010.

Mix 96 Breakfast presenter, Katy Brown, will once again be providing the on-stage warm-up (a fantastic staging area courtesy of local company Class Act) with live music from The Zefrons, singer Sophie Del Ray and a second-chance to see the Charity’s Strictly Florence 2013 champions, Sian McCarthy and Mark Henderson, perform their winning CHA CHA on the night.

Local diet and fitness guru, Joanna Beardsmore-Dilks, will be limbering up the crowd with a high-energy workout in the build- up to Midnight, which always goes down a treat with walkers. Joanna has supported the event for the past four years as a ‘thank you’ for the work of the Hospice, who cared for a friend through her battle with cancer.

There is still time to take part in this, the walking challenge of the year. You can enter online at www.gemstonewalk.co.uk, contact the team on 01296 429975 to register over-the-phone, or pop along to Harris & Hoole, Aylesbury, (1st floor, Tesco Broadfields) on Thursday, June 26, and sign up in person. All ladies who sign up on the day can claim a FREE pair of the trademark pink bunny ears!

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity needs to raise over £600,000 this year to ensure the continued funding of local Hospice services including Day Hospice, a 12-bedded in-patient unit, Florrie’s Children’s Team and the Nightingale 24/7 Care Team, who provide vital care and support to sick people in their own home at a critical time of need.

For more information, please visit www.fnhospice.org.uk