AROUND 100 people gathered on Friday night as one of the Great Oaks Hospice’s most popular events returned after being postponed last year because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Cloud cover meant actual moonlight was in short supply for the hospice’s Moonlight Walk but that did not put off the enthusiastic walkers whose efforts make an important contribution to Great Oaks’ fund-raising.

The five-mile route took the walkers from the hospice at The Gorse, down into the centre of Coleford, up to Broadwell – where the Salvation Army had kindly made “facilities” available – with a loop of Christchurch and Five Acres before heading back to the start.

The theme for this year’s walk took inspiration from the successful Berry Hill scarecrow trail and so it was appropriate that organisers Richard Powles and Lee Osborne led the warm-up before the walkers set off.

The hospice’s charity fundraiser Debbie Hutchinson said: “It’s great to be back as we couldn’t do it last year – even our dance class was on Zoom because of Covid.”

Debbie said there had been a last-minute rush of applications with many first-time walkers joining the many for whom the walk is a regular event in their calendar.

“We’ve had a great response people are really up for it and we are seeing a lot of new faces which is lovely.”

Among the first timers were Ann and Sadie Handscombe, Anita Bridgwood, Dee Huggins and Laura Murdock decided to sign up after seeing a notice in the Great Oaks shop in Newnham.

Ann said: “We spotted the notice in the Great Oaks shop and thought we haven’t had a Friday night out for a while – and it’s such a good cause.”

As well as raising money for Great Oaks, Sue Bamford of Sling and Angela Ratcliffe of Bream were also hoping to raise awareness of neuroendocrine cancer.

Sue’s husband, Ian, suffers from the condition which is often mistaken for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Sue said: “We want to support the fantastic work that Great Oaks does but we also want to raise awareness of neuroendocrine cancer.

“It’s rare but its on the increase.

“It’s non-aggressive but the symptoms can mirror IBS so it can take a long time to diagnose and get a referral.”

Among those whose made their own costumes were Kim and Jamie Scales – who had a bit of help from Cinderford coffee roasters Greenhills.

Kim said: “I told them I was doing a costume and they gave me some coffee sacks.”

The hospice is confident that the event will raise at least £1,500 to help keep running the vital services it provides to seriously ill people around the Forest.

Debbie said: “The feedback to the evening has been absolutely amazing and the photos and comments on social media are all very positive.

“It appears that everyone had such fun.”

While the hospice building itself had to close because of the pandemic, nurses and therapists continued to work visiting patients in their homes.

In fact, more people – more than 400 – were assisted by the hospice last year and services in the building are slowly re-opening.