Brits get fit with a little help from their friends – and a set goal!
Howard Lake | 1 June 2012 | News
10k Starlight Hikes are perfect for establishing fitness – and raising funds!
Research from Sue Ryder shows that more than one in 10 Brits (12 per cent) say that to stick to a fitness regime they need to work towards a set goal. And 53 per cent of these people say they would be more likely to get involved with a charity event if they sign up with a group of friends. The research supports the launch of Sue Ryder’s new fundraising events, Starlight Hikes, which are 10k night-time walks with a difference, around some of the UKs most loved locations.
As well as providing a fun and social experience, the Hikes are also aimed at getting people walking. Through the Starlight Hike events, the charity aims to recruit 10,000 walkers, and raise £1 million to help Sue Ryder continue to provide long-term, compassionate and end-of-life care to people across the UK. The 10 kilometer Hikes will take walkers through a gentle, beautifully lit route, under starlight in 11 locations across the UK.
Young people need goals
According to the charity’s findings, young people are more likely to need a set goal in order to stick to a fitness regime with one in five saying they like a set event or goal to work towards, in contrast to one in 20 people aged over 55.
Jason Suckley, director of fundraising and marketing at Sue Ryder, said: “We know that around 46 per cent of people who have ever taken part in a fundraising walk or run have done so in order to help them get fit, so with the Starlight Hikes we hope to attract participants of all fitness levels to see some of the UKs best known local landmarks – as well as fundraising – in a whole new light.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to go to our website and sign up for a walk event with a difference. We hope to recruit 10,000 walkers across the UK, each walking 10 kilometers with a goal of raising £1 million.”
Starlight Hikes, night-time walks with a difference, will take place nationwide throughout September this year and aim to raise over £1million for Sue Ryder. By taking part in the walks, people will help Sue Ryder to provide care and support for people at a very challenging time in their life through a range and choice of services shaped around an individual’s personal care needs.
The Sue Ryder Starlight Hikes will take place in eleven beautiful locations across the UK; Aberdeen, Bedford, Cheltenham, Clitheroe, Dundee, Driffield, Haworth, Ipswich, Leeds, Peterborough and Reading.
For more information about Starlight Hike, or to sign up to a Starlight Hike event, please see
www.starlighthike.org
References
1. TNS. February 2012. A nationally representative sample of 2,104 people 16-64 interviewed – 14th February 2012 – 20th February 2012
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.