A POPULAR nighttime walk in support of Manorlands will take place again this year.

The Starlight Hike Worth Valley, which has become a major fixture on the Oxenhope Sue Ryder hospice’s fundraising calendar, is planned for Saturday, October 8.

Participants will assemble at Oxenhope Station.

A Starlight Express train will then take the hikers to the start for a ten-kilometre marshalled walk – following a route through villages, countryside and the Manorlands grounds, where people will have the opportunity to place a poignant dedication in honour of someone special to them.

Six hundred people took part in last year's hike, and a whopping £70,000 was raised.

Hayley Ibbotson, senior community fundraiser at Manorlands, said: "We really hope that everyone will be able to join us at the Starlight Hike Worth Valley, which is shaping up to be a fantastic evening of celebration and remembrance under the stars.

"Our specialist teams make all the difference at the end of someone’s life or following a bereavement, and by taking part in the hike you’ll be helping Sue Ryder to provide even more expert and compassionate care.

"The Sue Ryder teams work tirelessly to ensure that our patients' symptoms and pain are managed so that the end of people’s lives can be filled with friendship, family and love."

The hike is being sponsored for a sixth year by Stirk Lambert & Co Accountants.

Richard Hudson, a partner at the Keighley firm, said: "Sue Ryder is a charity that is very close to the hearts of our staff, as well as many local people, and we're delighted to be sponsoring this event once again. It really brings people together.

"We hope lots of walkers will step out for a very special night and help raise vital funds for Sue Ryder’s care."

For more details and to enter the event, visit to sueryder.org/worthvalleystarlight.

Anyone with queries can contact the Manorlands fundraising team on manorlands.fundraising@sueryder.org or 01535 640430.

Manorlands supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families at the hospice and in the community, across an area covering Craven, Airedale and Wharfedale as well as parts of Bradford.

All services are free to patients and their loved ones, but it costs £10,000 a day to keep the hospice doors open – or £3.6m a year.

Only a small part of the cost, £1.2m, is covered by statutory funding.

Most of the funds are raised through voluntary donations.