A WILSDEN woman is taking part in a fundraising hike to support the hospice which cared for her late husband.

Miki Mitchell is walking with a group of family and friends in the Manorlands Starlight Hike-Worth Valley.

Her husband, Chris, received care from the Oxenhope Sue Ryder hospice before his death in 2018.

“We wanted to take part in the hike to help the hospice because of all the incredible support it gave us as a family,” said Miki, 55, who now works as a community fundraiser for Manorlands.

“The hospice helped Chris through his terminal diagnosis and palliative care and the team was with us every step of the way.

“They enabled him to pass away peacefully at home surrounded by his family, which is what he wanted, and helped me to be able to move forward.

“The nurses always go above and beyond and one thing they suggested before Chris died was to record his voice. It’s something I would never have done, but I’m so glad I did. I have a recording of him which my daughter put in a ‘build-a-bear’ and I listen to it before I go to bed each night.

“They also arranged for his favourite jumpers to be made into cushions for all of us and his ties into elephants! That’s something Sue Ryder made happen and those little things mean so much.

“I have such an affinity with Manorlands and really nice memories of people helping us.

“I’m looking forward to getting together with my friends and family to walk under the stars and talk about happy memories of Chris.”

The Starlight Hike – which has become a major fixture on the Manorlands fundraising calendar – takes place on Saturday, October 9.

Participants will assemble at Oxenhope Station.

A special Starlight Express train provided by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway will then take the hikers to the start for a ten-kilometre marshalled walk – following a route through villages, countryside and the Manorlands grounds.

The main event sponsor once again is Stirk Lambert and Co Accountants.

The section through the Manorlands grounds will, as in previous years, include an opportunity to walk along the Starlight Avenue – an area for quiet reflection.

Hayley Ibbotson, senior community fundraiser at the hospice, said: “Thank you so much to Miki and her family and friends for their kind support.

“There’s still time for people to join them and sign-up for our Starlight Hike–Worth Valley.”

For more details and to sign-up, visit sueryder.org/manorlandshike.

Anyone with queries about the event can email the fundraising team on manorlands.fundraising@sueryder.org or call 01535 640430.