Francesca Hockham

We did it

Tonight, Ross and I completed the 5K Starlight Walk for Sands.

Walking to Campbell Park and seeing Hotel La Tour lit pink and blue for Baby Loss Awareness Week was really special, and I’m so glad we did it together.

Most importantly, we did it in memory of our three babies.

And somehow, you lovely lot have helped us raise £235.

I originally set a target of £150, then raised it to £250 when we reached that sooner than I expected.

Now we’re just £15 away.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared the page, sent a message or supported us along the way. It genuinely means a lot.

The walk is finished, but the fundraising page is still open, so if anyone would like to help us get over that final £15 and reach £250 for Sands, you can donate here.

Every pound raised will help Sands support families affected by pregnancy and baby loss.

Tonight was for our babies.

And thank you for remembering them with us.

Tonight’s the night

Well, here we are.

Tonight is the night of my 5K Starlight Walk for Sands.

After all the planning, posting, fundraising and talking about it, Ross and I will actually be putting our shoes on and heading out.

We’ll be walking to Campbell Park, with Hotel La Tour lit pink and blue for Baby Loss Awareness Week, and we’ll be doing it in memory of our three babies.

I’m expecting a bit of everything tonight.

Probably some nerves.

Probably some emotion.

Probably me asking Ross how far we’ve walked when we’ve only been going for ten minutes.

And definitely a moment where I wonder why I thought 5K was a sensible idea.

But mostly, I’m looking forward to doing it.

Not because it will be easy, but because it feels important.

I’m also completely overwhelmed by the support so far.

I originally set myself a target of £150, and thanks to everyone who donated, we reached that and I was able to raise the target to £250.

Every single donation has helped turn this into something bigger than just a walk.

It is money going to Sands so they can continue supporting families affected by pregnancy and baby loss.

So if you’ve been meaning to donate and haven’t quite got round to it yet, tonight would be a very good night to give the total one last push.

Even a couple of pounds helps.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, shared the page, donated, sent a message or simply remembered our babies with us.

Tonight, we walk for them.

And yes, I’ll report back afterwards on whether Ross walked too fast.

We did it… so I’ve moved the goal

I genuinely thought £150 would take me a while to reach.

But thanks to some very lovely people, we’ve already hit the target.

So first of all, thank you.

Every donation, share and message has meant a lot, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has supported my Starlight Walk for Sands.

The original £150 target was important because it meant reaching the fundraising level for my Starlight Walk medal.

But now that we’re there, it seems a bit silly to stop.

So I’ve raised the target to £250.

That gives us another £100 to aim for, and every extra pound will help Sands continue supporting families affected by pregnancy and baby loss.

I’m walking 5K with Ross on 9 October, in memory of our three babies, and knowing that so many people are behind us makes the walk feel even more special.

So, new mission:

£250.

Can we do it?

If you’ve already donated, thank you so much.

If you haven’t and would like to help us reach the new target, you can donate here.

And if we happen to fly past £250 as well…

I suppose I’ll just have to think of another number.

Things I expect from my 5K Starlight Walk

As the Starlight Walk gets closer, I thought I’d make a highly scientific list of what I expect from the evening.

Things I expect:

Ross walking approximately 14% faster than me.

Me telling him to slow down.

Ross insisting he isn’t walking quickly.

Me disagreeing.

At least one conversation about whether we have walked 5K yet.

Me checking the distance far too often.

Some very pretty pink and blue lights.

Probably some tears.

Definitely some memories.

And, hopefully, a fundraising total that keeps creeping upwards.

I’m raising money for Sands as part of my Starlight Walk, and my first target is £150.

If you’ve been thinking, “I must sponsor her at some point,” this is your extremely subtle reminder.

Thank you to everyone who has donated already.

And Ross, if you’re reading this:

Slow down 

Operation £150 is officially underway

Right then.

The emotional reason for doing this walk has already been covered, so this update is about the other important matter:

Can we get this little fundraising thermometer moving?

My first target is £150.

Why £150?

Firstly, that is £150 going to Sands to help support families affected by pregnancy and baby loss.

Secondly, if I raise £150 by 24 December, I get a Starlight Walk medal.

And I am not going to pretend I don’t want the medal.

I absolutely want the medal.

So I am launching Operation Get Francesca the Medal.

Current plan:

Walk 5K.

Try not to complain too much.

Possibly complain quite a lot.

Make Ross listen to me complaining.

Raise £150.

Get a medal.

Most importantly, raise money for Sands.

If you’d like to help with any part of that plan, particularly the fundraising bit, you can donate here.

£2, £5, £10 or whatever you can spare all counts.

And if we accidentally fly past £150?

Well.

It would be terribly rude to stop.