Sponsored walk for St Vincent’s Hospice is off

A charity event has been cancelled due to lack of takeup from the public.

Step Up was a sponsored walk event which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 1, at Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch, on behalf of Howwood’s St Vincent’s Hospice.

Fundraising anager for St Vincent’s Carol- Anne Lamont said: “For the last two years, Step Up has been one of our most popular events, and we were once again looking forward to welcoming you all to join us for a beautiful walk in a couple of weeks’ time.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our fundraising team and some wonderful supporters, there simply hasn’t been the public interest or signups for this event to make it possible to go ahead.

“Events like Step Up not only require time and effort from our staff and volunteers, but we also have to consider the costs of running this event. As a local charity, we have a responsibility to make sure that every penny is used to ensure we are offering the highest possible standard of care to our patients and their families.

“Sadly, in this instance, this event is not able to go ahead.

“We want to thank everyone who had already signed up. Members of the fundraising department will be in touch shortly, or alternatively you can contact us directly on 01505 705 635.”

The hospice is set to keeping the spirit of the event going, with its new Step Up Challenge.

Can you walk 30 miles in September? By walking just one mile every day from Sunday, September 1, until Monday, September 30, St Vincent’s is challenging the community to Step Up all through next month, encourage people to sponsor you and support the hospice.

Carol-Anne added: “While we know some of you will be disappointed that the traditional Step Up event will not be going ahead, we are really excited at this opportunity to try something new, to capture the energy and enthusiasm we know that so many of you have for our hospice.

“Will you Step Up for St Vincent’s in September? By encouraging your friends and relatives to sponsor you, you can not only help raise vital funds for our hospice, but get more fit and active in the process.”

There are several ways you can raise funds for St Vincent’s as part of the Step Up Challenge:

 Set up a JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving. com/stvincents/donate

 Create a Fundraising page via Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/fund/ StVincentsHospice/

 Contact the hospice fundraising team at 01505 705 635 to request a sponsor form or support materials.