PREPARATIONS are gearing up for the return of an iconic event which sees hundreds of people come together to remember their loved ones.

St Mary's Hospice is counting down the hours until their Walk to Remember event returns tomorrow in full force.

Participants will walk ten miles through Ulverston to Barrow as a fundraising activity for the hospice, which relies on donations to continue with its vital care.

The Walk to Remember has been running for over 12 years, and in 2017 £56,486 was raised through it. It ran for the first time again last year as lockdown restrictions relaxed. 

Just 17 percent of the money the hospice needs every year comes via the NHS, with the rest having to be generated by fundraising activities - and the Walk to Remember has become one of the most popular ways for local people to get involved.

In previous years the event has raised thousands of pounds of vital funds to help the hospice providing patients with expert care and compassion so those affected by advancing illness have comfort, choice and dignity, either at the hospice or at home.

As well as emotional support for them and their families – services that are needed more than ever in the months ahead due to the impact of the pandemic.

St Mary’s events and challenges manager Mel Dixon said: “This year we are asking our community who means the world to you? And who will you be walking for? Each step our supporters take raises vital funds for the hospice, which means we can be here for you and those important to you, when and where you need us, now and in the future.”

On the night, registration for the event opens at 6pm at Better Leisure Centre, and the official walk begins at 8pm. The ten-mile-long route goes through Swarthmoor, Lindal, and Dalton, before ending at Furness Academy. 

Ulverston Town Council have reminded residents that some roads will be busy in the area during Walk To Remember. 

The council said that Priory Road and Croftlands Estate may be 'slightly congested between the hours of 8pm and 8pm tomorrow.

The event is sponsored by leading offshore wind farm developer Ørsted.