Ticket sales for the 2023 Starlit Walk have now ended. Thank you to everyone who signed up to attend – we look forward to seeing you on Thursday, 26 October 2023 from 17:00.
To find out more about our other 2023 events, please visit our ‘Rowans Charity Events‘ web page.
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Rowans Hospice Charity is inviting children aged up to and including 18 years (accompanied by an adult) to take part in our popular Starlit Walk around the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Thursday, 26 October 2023 from 17:00 hrs.
Starlit Walk is a sponsored walk of either 1.5 or 3 miles, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the iconic sights of the Dockyard by twilight, while remembering a loved one. There will also be plenty of entertainment before and during the walk, and all participants will receive a special Starlit medal when they cross the finish line.
Fancy dress is encouraged, but not essential. We would love to see you wearing bright and cheerful neon outfits to light up the paths, however, please wear whatever you are comfortable with and ensure you dress for the weather! As there will be very young walkers joining us for the event, please do not dress up in scary costumes.
Rowans services are provided around the clock and free of charge. However, we are in fact a Charity, and 90% of our income needs to be generated by voluntary giving through channels such as fundraising events.
Tickets for the Starlit Walk are £5 per child (one accompanying adult ticket is FREE, but needs to be booked in addition to the child ticket), with a suggested sponsorship of £25. It is thanks to the generous fundraising from people like you that we can continue to provide much-needed support to people in our local community when they need it most.
In preparation for the walk, why not download and decorate a star in memory of someone special? You can bring it along with you on the walk and hang it up on our Memory Wall when you visit St Ann’s Church along the route. Staff and Volunteers will help you light a candle and take a moment to remember loved ones if you wish.
Rowans Meerkat Service offers specialist emotional support to children and young people who have a significant adult (such as a parent or grandparent), with a life-limiting illness, or who have been bereaved of an adult close to them. Support can be provided in a variety of ways, depending on the child’s individual needs; guidance to parents/guardians, advice to schools and other agencies, and when appropriate, individual therapeutic work with children.
Our Meerkat team will be at the Starlit Walk, based in St Ann’s Church near the memory wall, and they look forward to seeing you all there. Keep a look-out for our special Meerkat mascot on the night too!
If you would like to find out more about this service or speak to a member of the Meerkat team, please visit the Meerkat Service website or call: 02392 248025
A resource that the Meerkat team regularly uses in their work with children is one of these memory boxes. Creating a memory box can help children talk about their grief and support them to maintain a connection with the person who has died, in the context of their ongoing lives. Part of the suggested £25 sponsorship pledge will go towards supplying boxes for bereaved children.
The quickest and easiest way to collect sponsorship is by setting up a personal online fundraising page with JustGiving. JustGiving will send your sponsorship money to us automatically so all you need to do is share your page with friends and family so you can begin receiving donations for Rowans Hospice Charity.
Tell your story
Ensure you write a page summary on your JustGiving page. Sharing why you are participate helps others to connect with what you are doing. Fact: Pages with a summary get 65% more donations!
Set a fundraising target
This can lead to a 17% increase in the amount you generate! We suggest a sponsorship pledge of £25 for the Starlit Walk.
Add a photo!
Did you know that just by adding a profile picture to your JustGiving account you could boost your donations by 13%? Make sure your photo is clear and eye-catching as this is the image that appears when you share your page on social media. It also confirms to your supporters they are on the right page.
Thank Yous
Add a personal touch by editing your thank-you message which donors receive together with their donation receipt – they might even donate again!
Updates!
Keep people updated – post photos or comments about your costume, fundraising milestones reached or anything else connected to the Starlit Walk.
If you would like to collect sponsorship offline, you can download a sponsorship form here.
Looking for some ideas to get your fundraising off to a great start? Download 12 fun ways to get your fundraising started here.
Due to the Starlit Walk being held within the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, we are limited on the number of participants who can take part. To ensure as many children as possible can join in, we request that only one adult accompanies each child. However, one adult may accompany up to four children.
If you require more than one adult to accompany your child, please get in touch with our Fundraising Team who will be happy to discuss your requirements.
Adults are not permitted to attend without accompanying a child.
Thank you for your understanding.
There are 295 car parking spaces, including 13 disabled parking spaces and 4 electric vehicle charging bays (accessible online) at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Car Park, which is situated approximately 400 yards from the main entrance at Victory Gate.
The car park is located on Admiralty Road, just off Queen Street. The postcode for SatNav is PO1 3GW and please follow the brown tourism signs for the car park.
Alternative car parks are also signposted locally for Queens Street, or Gunwharf Quays, which is within five minutes walk of the Dockyard.
If you are traveling by bus or train, the nearest stations are located at Portsmouth Harbour.
When booking a ticket, please complete one registration per adult. If you would like to attend with additional adults and children, please complete a new ticket registration.
For example, if you would like to attend with 2 adults and 2 children, complete two separate registrations for 1 adult + 1 child each.
Venue Website: http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/
