Members of Slimming World groups have helped to boost the funds of St Nicholas Hospice Care by almost £20,000 after taking part in the annual Girls Night Out moonlight walk, in Bury St Edmunds.
Collectively around 150 women walked hundreds of miles as they wore their pyjamas and flashing bunny ears for the event.
They came from the groups based in Mildenhall, Littleport and St Neotts and between the Mildenhall Marvels, Mandy’s Lovelies and Sharon’s Superstars the total funds raised were £19,386.59 for the charity, which provides care for those across the community who are in the final chapters of their lives.
Jenny Smith, the hospice’s events manager, said: “Thank you to everyone from the Slimming World groups who took part and really helped make a huge difference.
“If it wasn’t for the money raised through Girls Night Out the hospice couldn’t give all the support it does, and if it wasn’t for women like the Mildenhall Marvels, Mandy’s Lovelies and Sharon’s Superstars Girls Night Out wouldn’t have grown into the brilliant event it is.”
For the first time this year the Mildenhall Marvels held a fundraising ball which accounted for £2,260 of their final total of £10,078.19.
The ball was organised by Emma Sadler, who was determined to raise funds for the charity even though she couldn’t take part in the walk.
Emma said: “I couldn’t take part in the walk but I really wanted to do something to raise funds for the hospice and support the rest of the Mildenhall Marvels with their efforts. I was sat at home thinking of ideas and then came up with the ball.
“It was a brilliant event. We had so much support. It was emotional seeing it all come together but I absolutely loved it and I am so pleased we were able to raise so much for the hospice.”
Led by Mildenhall Slimming World consultant Donna Cooper, consultants Mandy Reeve, from St Neots, and Sharon Heaps, from Littleport, joined together to create a team of around 150 women.
With special rosettes pinned to their T-shirts the teams joined more than 2,100 women who paced the pavements for the charity with Sharon’s Superstars adding £7,992.13 and Mandy’s Lovelies £1,316.27 to their combined final total.
Girls Night Out is a sponsored walk around Bury St Edmunds with two routes – 11.2 miles and six miles. This year more than 2,100 women walked, with monies from the event expected to total £250,000.
Next year’s Girls Night Out walk, the tenth event of its kind, will take place on Saturday, September 8, 2017.
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