An intrepid team of colleagues from Ottery are preparing to tackle a charity hike around the town and local area next month.

Sally Bright and Lauren Pearcy have put together a team of 30 of their colleagues from Otter Garden Centre to take on the annual Twilight Walk for Hospiscare on Saturday, July 10.

Lauren said: “We have put the team together from Otter Garden Centres because Hospiscare is Otter’s charity of the year and because many team members and their loved ones have received support from the charity.
“Hospiscare cared for my mum at the end of her life, so I know how important the charity is. I would love to give a little back so that the charity’s services are available to others that may need them.”

The Twilight Walk, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, usually attracts hundreds of people to the start of the event in Exmouth, but this year walkers have the option to walk in their own local area if they live outside the town. Some will be walking the full 13 miles and others will be walking six miles

Lauren and some of her colleagues have been busy planning the route. “Sally Bright and myself along with Grace Talbot and Sally Palfrey have been going on test walks of the route to put a plan together for the night but we haven’t walked the full 13 miles yet!” Said Lauren.

Sally said: “I have taken part in the Twilight Walk before and know how important the event is in raising money for Hospiscare. We’re all looking forward to it and are hoping the weather is kind to us.”

Lauren and her family are no strangers to fundraising with her father, Steve Pearcy, having recently completed walking 100 miles for Hospiscare.
Lauren said: “I can remember taking part in Hospiscare bike rides as a child around Weston and Honiton. Also, Sally and I helped organise a charity walk to work dressed as elves last December in memory of a dear colleague for Brain Tumour Support.”

For this year’s big event, the garden centre team will be dressed in the classic pink Twilight Walk tops, and of course pink tutus to match.

The team, which has so far raised £293, hasn’t set a specific target but has said they “will be so grateful for any donations, big or small because we know how much the pandemic has impacted Hospiscare’s fundraising efforts.”
To support the team go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/team-otter