Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s fire walk raises over £13,000

Brave souls raised over £13,000 for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care in a fire walk fundraiser which took place on Friday 17 May in Ashley Cross Green, Poole.

Among the 44 people walking barefoot over red-hot coal were members of the public, company teams and even a hospice patient.

The fire walk was sponsored by local businesses, Katie Fox Estate Agents, Le Bateau and Howdens. Additional support was also received from Barratt Homes, Minuteman Press, Capital Barriers & Temporary Fencing Limited, Job Shop and Axent Workwear.

Hospice patient, Brian, who is registered blind said: “I’ve never done a fire walk before so I was curious as it’s something different. People often say to me, ‘you can’t do things like that because you’re blind,’ but I like to do challenges. I was so happy to be able to do this for Lewis-Manning as they’ve helped me so much and brought so much enjoyment to my life. It’s brilliant to be able to give something back as a thank you for their invaluable support. I’ve raised over £300.”

Area Fundraiser, India Turner, said: “Wow what an evening it was! Huge respect for everyone who took part. There was a real celebratory, community feel to the event with everyone encouraging and supporting each other. We were incredibly lucky with the sunny evening and we had a great turnout of spectators too. Lots of the fire walkers had brought along their friends and family. It was my first event working for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and I was blown away by the level of support and camaraderie with everyone in such high spirits.

“The hospice retail shop which overlooks the Green stayed open until 9pm too, adding to the buzz of the evening and showcasing our sustainable shopping offering.”