Midnight Walk Countdown

Well, thank goodness for the arrival of Keith on the blog scene.  When we set this up I told everyone how important it was that we kept on blogging and that come rain or shine I was going to blog away freely and without prejudice.  But then came my holiday, and then the job, and then, well insert whatever excuse you can, but then along came Keith and the blog has blossomed into life.  Doesn't he write well?  I'm hooked.  So while Keith gives you his unique insight into our services as both a volunteer and from his own experience of illness, I'll try and give a glimpse of some of some of the challenges we face running the hospice and raising the money to provide the services.

So, a big weekend ahead for most of the team.  It is our annual St Albans' Midnight Walk - a 10 mile round St Albans walk aimed predominately at women (and a few men if they are prepared to indulge in a bit of cross-dressing)  Now, carrying on from where Keith left off, this is a real example of how we couldn't function without the help of volunteers.  On Saturday night/Sunday morning there will be an army of about 50 volunteers helping us set up, marshal and look after our walkers.  It's a huge undertaking. 

As an outsider I would have once asked "what can be so difficult about getting 1000 women to wlk in a circle around St Albans".  Surely it can't be that difficult?  But then I got involved with a few events and got a real insight into the sheer logistical magnitude of putting on an event.  Well, I say "got involved" - I actually suggested them as good fundraising events and then found mysellf involved in the organisation of them.  What an eye-opener!  The planning, visualisation, attention to detail and ability to deal with teh unexpected are so necessary to anyone who organises events.  I would find myself losing sleep for weeks before an event, and then finding enough energy to run around like a headless chicken on the night of the event itself.  Fortunately the trustees at Grove House realised how succesful our events were becoming and just how ill suited to event organisation their fundraising director was, and allowed me to employ some consumate professionals in this area.  I now have Kathryn and Sinead, who run a tight ship and simply ask me to keep out of the way whilst they conduct a smooth running stress free event.  Well, that's what they tell me, but I can't believe they're not really flapping inside......

So, I'm looking forward to Saturday.  The weather is set to be good, England have done us a favour by not being good and are now playing on Sunday and not Saturday night, and we should have about 900 women on the night.  It's a great event; a wonderful atmosphere, lots of happy faces and good humour (why do we still think there's something a bit devilish about being up past our bed time?).  With our amazing volunteers, prepared to sacrifice a night's sleep for us, we have  the bases covered to put on another suuccesful walk.  This will be our fourth and it should be bigger and better than any before.  Joe McGann will be setting the women on their way and we hope to raise about £90000 for Grove House whilst giving everyone a good evening.  It seems a far cry from 4 years ago when we started the event and there was just myself, one other fundraiser, a marquee and thankfully, that ever steady, ever faithful army of volunteers starting the process off.