People from across Lanarkshire will be amongst thousands travelling from darkness into light at the annual Walk of Hope.
Organised by suicide prevention charity Chris’s House, the event gives people the opportunity to come together and remember loved ones who have been lost to suicide and raise awareness of the issue.
The walk will see a bright yellow procession snake its way on a 5km circular route to and from Glasgow’s Science Centre on the banks of the River Clyde via it’s embankments.
It will take place during the early hours of Saturday, May 6, with walkers meeting in the darkness at 4am.
The Walk of Hope is a ticketed event, with those who sign up being provided with a special t-shirt for the event. Entertainment will again be provided by The Soundsational Choir, and there will be a number of speakers, among them is solicitor Nicola Rylatt.
Nicola’s husband took his own life just days after they had celebrated their first wedding anniversary, aged 33. She is a Lived Experience Panel Member on the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group, which helps to drive implementation of the Scottish Government's Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
The Walk of Hope is a much-needed fundraiser for Chris’s House (Centre for Help and Response & Intervention Surrounding Suicide) in Wishaw, the first 24-hour non-medical crisis centre in Scotland.
Anne Rowan, who founded the Chris’s House charity in memory of her son, said: “The significance of the Walk of Hope is to remind us that the darkness is temporary and the light will follow. We begin the walk when it is dark at approximately 4.15 am and the sun rises as we complete the 5km route.
“This is the specified day of the year that many choose to walk in hope all around the world to raise awareness of suicide prevention. We also remember those loved ones lost to suicide. There is a Memory Tent where you can place a picture of a loved one lost to suicide.
To ensure a t-shirt can be provided, tickets must be purchased at least three days in advance. For any tickets bought after that time t-shirts cannot be guaranteed.
Tickets will be available up until May 6, priced £15 for adults, £12 concessions, plus booking fee, (tickets for under-12s are free) at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/walk-of-hope-2023-tickets-578975801207
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