Take a dawn walk . . .

We're encouraging our Members, customers and colleagues to take a Dawn Walk at sunrise on any day between Thursday 10th October and Sunday 13th October in support of our new charity partner, Samaritans.

This simple act will not only help you to enjoy a moment of peace and calm with nature, but will also enable you to bring awareness and support for the incredible work Samaritans does.

But what's a Dawn Walk?

A Dawn Walk is a sponsored walk at sunrise, wherever you choose, whatever length, between between Thursday 10th October and Sunday 13th October to help raise funds for Samaritans.

To register – visit Samaritans website.  Dawn Walk 2024 (samaritans.org)

How to set up your Dawn Walk event

Go solo or gather a team to take on the Dawn Walk challenge, you could even bring dogs along for the walk!

Plan your route. You can walk anywhere you like – how about starting at a much-loved scenic spot? Lots of people aim to be somewhere where they get a good view to the east when the sun rises.

There are lots of apps that can help you plan a route or track your distance, such as Strava, OS Maps, Komoot and Google Maps. You can also roughly calculate your distance using a pedometer – 1,320 steps is around 1k, so 6,600 steps works out at approximately 5k.

Let us know what you’re up to. We’d love to hear about your plans! Samaritans can also send you posters, a collection box, leaflets and bunting to make sure your event looks fantastic.

Fundraising tips

You could just send a personal donation to Samaritans or choose to get sponsored for your Dawn Walk challenge. Whether you’re taking part with a group or taking on the challenge solo, set up a JustGiving page to make it easy for people to sponsor you.

It’s proven that personalised online fundraising pages raise more money, so don’t forget to add some background information, a photo and explain why you’re taking part.

Don’t be shy! Tell your friends, family and colleagues about Dawn Walk and why you’re doing it, and don’t forget to include a link to your fundraising page. There are lots of different ways you can share – WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, email, voice notes or video messages – whatever works best for you.

If you’re taking on the challenge as a team, why not get colleagues together to celebrate with a post Dawn Walk breakfast or cake sale? Invite colleagues from across your organisation to join your team at your office, or place of your choice, after the walk for a warm cuppa and cake, or bacon roll! It’s a great way to get everyone together, and raise funds and awareness of Samaritans’ 24/7 service.

So, plan your Dawn Walk and share your expereince with us on Social Media.

To register – visit Samaritans website.  Dawn Walk 2024 (samaritans.org)