Hike for Hospices sponsored walk 21st - 22nd of August

Sussex hospices need your help.

The Hike for Hospices sponsored walk takes place on August 21 and 22.

Every penny raised pays directly for patient care at St Barnabas House, The Martlets, St Wilfred's and St Peters & St James hospices.

This year’s walk covers 43 miles along the South Downs Way between Lewes and Goodwood. It's divided into six legs so people of all abilities can take part.

Last year 400 walkers raised £42,000 – and Sussex Rotarians hope this year’s hike will be even better.

Between them, the four hospices provide specialist palliative care to tens of thousands of people suffering from advanced life-limiting illnesses right across Sussex.

Patients are never charged for their care. But this service does not come cheaply. For all four hospices, the total cost of providing this care is £13.5 million per year.

Only a small portion of these costs are funded by the government and so each hospice has to raise between 70% and 80% of the costs themselves.

Hike 4 Hospices organiser, Mike Harvey, said, "It is astonishing that our hospices receive so little funding, especially when you see what a tremendous difference this specialist care makes to patients and families at the most difficult time in their lives. Hike 4 Hospices wants to help provide some of the missing funds for this essential service and, with the help of the people of Sussex, we are confident of raising even more vital funds at this year’s walk."

Online registration is now open, so put your best foot forward and help make a difference.

For more information visit www.hike4hospices.com