Plan your Walk of Hope
Step one: When, where and who?
You’ve registered – brilliant! Now it’s time to:
Choose your date: Walk on the official date, Saturday 26th September, or choose any date that works for you.
Choose your route: Your route could be a scenic trail, a stroll through your local park or city, a coastal or canal path – wherever you like. You could even take part on a treadmill. Decide on a distance that feels achievable, whether that’s a couple of kilometres, a 10km or more!
If you’re walking inspired by someone affected by a brain tumour or in memory of your loved one, or you could be living with the disease yourself, you may want to choose a route that holds special meaning and memories for you.
Choose your people: Walk solo, gather family and friends, or involve your wider community, school or workplace. Walks of Hope come in all shapes and sizes – yours can plan be as large or as intimate as you like.
Step two: Set up your JustGiving page
Money raised by your Walk of Hope will help to fuel game-changing science and strengthens our mission to increase the national investment in research into brain tumours. And the easiest way to raise funds is by creating a JustGiving page.
It only takes a couple of minutes to set up your fundraising page, and you can use is in lots of different ways:
Walking solo? Ask people to sponsor your challenge
Walking with a small group? Create a team page and encourage some friendly competition to see who can raise the most
Hosting a larger walk? Consider asking participants for a registration fee which they can donate via your JustGiving page
Step three: Planning a safe and fun walk
Now for the fun part: preparing for the big day!
The size, length and location of your walk will determine how much planning your event will require.
For small, informal walks with friends and family in a public place – you won’t usually need licenses or insurance.
For larger or public walks – your local Community Fundraiser can guide you through everything required to ensure your event is safe, legal and enjoyable. You can also find more information below.
Your Community Fundraiser is also on hand to support you with providing fundraising materials, including “I’m walking for…” t-shirt signs and banners, and more ideas for how you can make your Walk of Hope extra special. You can also purchase caps, dog bandanas and more from our shop.
Key considerations for larger walks
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Do I need a license or any insurance for my walk?
Small, informal walks with family or friends on public paths usually don’t need licenses, but once you promote or organise it publicly, your responsibilities increase.
For larger or public events:
- Check with your local council about permissions
- Get permission for any private land
- Expect to need public liability insurance
- Carry out a basic risk assessment
- Follow fundraising guidance from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising
If you are unsure whether your Walk of Hope qualifies as a larger or public event, contact your local Community Fundraiser.
Do I need to complete a risk assessment?
For larger, group walks, yes. A risk assessment helps identify potential hazards and how to prevent these. You can request a template from your local Community Fundraiser.
Can you advise on the organisation process?
We are happy to help answer your questions, but due to the scale of Walk of Hope as one of our national flagship campaigns, we cannot organise your walk for you. For larger walks, forming a small organising team can make planning much easier and more enjoyable. To help with any costs, you could also ask a local business to sponsor you.
“When I planned our first Walk of Hope in 2023, I never imagined that we'd go on to raise more than £15,000 over the years. This September, we'll hold our fourth Grimsby walk, inviting people to pay a registration fee to get their t-shirt and join us for the whole 18 miles or just a section of our route. We even welcome non-walkers to join us at our cricket ground and pub pitstops along the way and put a few pounds in the pot.
“Our Walk of Hope was set up in memory of our friends Drinksy and Andy, and for all those in our small cricket club who are living with or tragically lost their lives to this awful illness. It's an incredibly inspiring feeling to see the community coming together to help fight brain tumours. It's also surprisingly easy to organise, especially if you get people involved in the planning too, and Brain Tumour Research is there to help every step of the way. I would urge anyone considering holding their own Walk of Hope to take the leap and go for it!" – Tracey Piggott
Fundraising materials
Download posters, sponsorships forms, “I’m walking for…” back signs and top tips – everything you need to raise awareness of your walk and maximise the money you raise.
Meet your Community Fundraiser
Your local Community Fundraiser is here to support you with expert guidance and fundraising ideas. They’ll be in touch in the run up to your walk to make sure you have everything you need, but you can always reach out if you need help in the meantime.