From an abseil down the side of a landmark church to a Moonlight Walk for all the family – there are already some really amazing events lined up for St Catherine’s Hospice this year!

First up, we’ve secured a really unique location for our next abseil in March – the iconic St John’s Church in Preston Road, Whittle-le-Woods. We went along recently to take some photos of the view from the top (pictured), and the experience of being on the roof of the church, climbing the stairs past the huge bells, was exciting enough – never mind the thought of abseiling down the side of the building afterwards!

Set for Saturday, March 18, it will be perfect for adrenaline-junkies looking for something a bit different to get their pulses racing, whilst collecting sponsorship for St Catherine’s. Click here for more details. 

There’s also a Wiggle North Series event which St Catherine’s is proud to be the official charity partner for – the brand new Counties Challenge bike ride. It follows the success of the Wiggle Four Counties event last Spring, which was really popular with keen cyclists.

This time, the 100-mile course is slightly different so that those who took part in 2016 will hopefully feel inspired to try the new route. And there’s also 65 and 30-mile circuits, so even more people can get on their bikes in aid of a worthy cause.

That’s on Sunday, May 14, setting off from Withy Grove Park in Bamber Bridge, taking in parts of Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Click here to sign up.

We can also announce that the hospice’s poignant Moonlight and Memories Walk is set to return for its eleventh year, a little later in the summer than usual; the night of Saturday, July 1. People have already started signing up, which is fantastic – so add your name to the list and walk under the stars in memory of your loved ones.

If our events aren’t quite for you, but you’re interested in supporting the great work of St Catherine’s on a more regular basis, perhaps you’ll consider setting yourself a slightly different challenge for 2017 by volunteering with us.

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at the hospice or The Mill café in the grounds of St Catherine’s Park in Lostock Hall, or our shops out in the community in South Ribble, Preston and Chorley.