Stride under the stars for hospice care. Make memories, and make a difference too. Get ready for an unforgettable night of colour, culture, and celebration as you embark on Nightwalk 2025 which we are pleased to announce will be a carnival extravaganza!
Bideford Rugby Club (choose a 3 or 10 mile route)
Saturday 17th May 2025
Bideford > Instow - £20
Bideford > Barnstaple - £25
Women and girls over 11 years
Nightwalk is a magical moonlit sponsored walk along the Tarka Trail. Stride 3 or 10 miles, to help local people facing a life-limiting illness. Everyone deserves care and compassion at the end of life. Let’s walk together to make it happen.
Starting at Bideford, 1,000 trailblazers will march together as the sun sets and the stars come out. You’ll light up the Tarka Trail, walking either three or 10 miles (choose your preferred distance) to raise sponsorship for North Devon Hospice.
Choose your preferred distance:
A fun and memorable celebration, as you walk along the iconic Tarka Trail, taking in the stunning sunset. As the stars come out there’s music, lights and tonnes of entertainment along the route. You’ll also get refreshment at the half-way point and at the end of the walk.
Exciting announcement: For the first time ever, we’ll all gather at the same start point to begin the walk together at Bideford. There’ll be an event village, stage, fun warm-up, glow-up station, live music and more. The perfect way to start the evening!
We’re also delighted to bring back the Memory Bridge at Fremington Quay, where you can write a message to someone special.
Included:
This years theme is carnival so we encourage walkers to dress bold, dress bright, and let your carnival spirit shine as you take the lead in a mesmerizing parade of light, rhythm, and joy along the route.
The donations and sponsorship from Nightwalkers like you will help care for local people and ensure that their final days are filled with dignity and peace, free from pain.
Simply click here to set up your Nightwalk 2025 Just Giving page. Send the link to your friends, family and colleagues using Facebook, WhatsApp, or email. You'll be amazed at how quickly you reach £50 or £100. Once you set up your Just Giving page, we'll keep in touch with tips and support on how to raise as much as possible for local families.
As well as setting up a fundraising page, you can also choose to make a donation to North Devon Hospice yourself. You’ll find a donation option when registering.
If you'd rather have a paper sponsor form, you can download one here. Every pound raised by Nightwalkers like you will help ensure that local people facing the end of their life, or the loss of a loved one, do not have to do it alone.
We have tried our best to make Nightwalk accessible for all. There will be a shortened, fully accessible Nightwalk route, from Bideford to Instow. If you have any limited mobility or require a wheelchair or mobility scooter and have any questions about the route, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Fundraising Team at eventadmin@northdevonhospice.org.uk.
We are pleased to welcome women and girls aged 11+ to enjoy the evening with family and friends and experience the joy of Nightwalk! All girls under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult woman who walks with them at the event. Please note, a maximum of three under-18s are permitted to walk with each adult.
The sponsorship raised by Nightwalkers like you will help care for local people, ensuring that their final days are filled with dignity and peace, free from pain.
Simply click here to set up your Nightwalk 2025 JustGiving page. Share your page with friends, family and colleagues via Facebook, WhatsApp, or email. You'll be amazed at how quickly you reach your target. We'll keep in touch with tips on how to raise as much as possible for local families.
If you'd rather have a paper sponsor form, you can download one here. Print it off, then pass it round your workplace or social groups, it’ll soon fill up! Every pound raised by Nightwalkers like you will help ensure that local people facing the end of their life, or the loss of a loved one, do not have to do it alone. Thank you.
All you need to know about Nightwalk 2025
We ask that all participants try and raise a minimum of £50, but no matter what you raise, every pound makes such a difference.
Your registration fee simply covers the cost of staging this incredible event, your sponsorship is what helps North Devon Hospice care for local people in their time of need.
So, set up a JustGiving page or download a printable sponsor form, then see what you can raise! You’d be amazed at how £10 quickly turns into £50, then £100 and more. This will make the world of difference to a family in North Devon who is currently facing a life-limiting illness like cancer and relies on the hospice for care and support.
Women and girls aged 11+ can sign up for Nightwalk. Girls aged 11-17 must take part with an accompanying woman who is also registered for Nightwalk, and we ask that there is at least one adult to every three girls aged 11-17.
This years theme is carnival!
Fancy dress is not compulsory but if you want to get into the spirit of things we encourage you to dress bold, dress bright and let your carnival spirit shine!
Our lively event village will officially open at 5:30pm. All walkers must be registered and in the event village no later than 6:45pm in readiness to start setting off from the start line at 7pm.
We’re excited to be gathering all Nightwalkers at a single start point at Bideford Rugby Club, for the first time ever. The atmosphere at the start line will be bubbling, with live music, a fun warm up, event village, stage, glow-up station and more.
Our lively event village will officially open at 5:30pm. All walkers must be registered and in the event village no later than 6:45pm in readiness to start setting off from the start line at 7pm.
Together, as a spectacular parade of glowing colours and unstoppable spirit, walkers will make their way along Bideford Quay and out onto the Tarka Trail where an array of interactive and immersive entertainment awaits!
There are two routes available. We’ll all start at Bideford Rugby Club, and you can choose the three-mile route finishing at Instow Yacht Club, or the 10-mile route finishing at Barnstaple Rugy Club. The shorter route should take an hour, with the longer one more like three and a half hours (although it could be faster or slower depending on each group’s walking pace).
Nightwalk is an exciting outdoor evening event, and weather conditions can change quickly. While we absolutely encourage you to let your carnival spirit shine by dressing bright and bold, please also come prepared for the elements.
👟 Comfortable, waterproof footwear
🧥 Layers and weather-appropriate clothing — it can get chilly later in the evening
💧 Plenty of water and snacks to keep your energy up
🔦 A torch — just in case
📱 A fully charged mobile phone
Let’s keep it safe, fun, and fabulous!
There is ample parking, and drop-off points available in Bideford, with car parks located at Riverbank, Pill Road and Chanters Road. All car parks are public and may incur charges. Any vehicles are left at your own risk.
Many participants find it easiest to get dropped off at the start and collected at the end by a friend or family member. Parking is very limited at Barnstaple Rugby Club but pick up will be available from the football club car park next door.
We’ve tried our best to make Nightwalk accessible for all. The route is largely flat and step-free. If you have limited mobility or require a wheelchair or mobility scooter and have any questions about the route, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Fundraising Team at eventadmin@northdevonhospice.org.uk.
Upon registration, all walkers will be issued with a numbered bib which is to be worn at all times whilst taking part. This bib contains a chip which will activate as soon as you cross the start line. This ensures all walkers can be tracked whilst out on the course. You must cross the finish line at your designated finish location to deregister.
If you need to leave the course at any time during the walk, please notify the nearest marshall or member of staff. This is so we can keep a track of who is and isn’t on the course and is for your own, and everyone’s safety.
At the end of the night, if any walkers are unaccounted for, in the first instance we will contact you via telephone. If we cannot reach you via phone, then we will send a member of staff to visit your home address. If we are still unable to reach you, we will have to notify the police!
So please do make sure you always keep your bib on you, cross your designated finish line, or if you need to leave the course for any reason, make sure to let a marshall know.
Yes, at the end of the walk (whether you finish at Instow Yacht Club or Barnstaple Rugby Club), Stagecoach buses will return walkers back to Bideford Rugby Club. The buses will start running from 8.30pm from Instow and 10.30pm from Barnstaple. There may be a short wait for buses however with two double deckers running all night, you shouldn't be waiting long!
Nightwalk takes place along public roadways and footpaths at night. All participants take part at their own risk, however we will do everything we can to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable experience whilst participating.
We have marshalls stationed at designated locations along the whole course, who will be clearly visible in high-vis vests and with brightly lit glow sticks. Our marshalls are volunteers, who give their time freely and are their for your safety so please be respectful and follow any instructions they may give.
All marshalls will have direct contact to our First Aid provider and Event HQ so can get additional help in the event of an emergency. First Aid will be supplied by CGC Safety who will have trained medical professionals available both on bike, by ambulance and on foot.
In addition to this, we will also have backmarker marshalls who will walk behind the last walker/s until the finish line. They will do their best to make sure no one deviates off the course however if you do decide to leave the course, and do not let one of our marshalls know, then you will be deemed deregistered and no longer covered by our event.
Toilets are situated at Bideford Rugby Club, Instow Yacht Club, Yelland Quay, Fremington Quay and Barnstaple Rugby Club. Please do not urinate or defecate anywhere on or near the course, except in the toilets.
Yes, friends and family are very welcome to come along so they too can enjoy the atmosphere of the event village and cheer you off on the start line. We simply ask for a small donation of £2 from all adults entering Bideford Rugby Club. Under 16's free.
In the event village at Bideford Rugby Club, there will be hot and cold food available to purchase from a selection of catering vans. The rugby club bar will also be open to purchase soft and alcoholic drinks.
There will be a refreshment station located near Westleigh as well as at Fremington Quay. These refreshments are complimentary and have been kindly donated.
At the finish lines, there will also be complimentary food and drink for all walkers.
Yes! Men are key part of Nightwalk, volunteering their time on the evening to make everything tick. So, for any men in North Devon who’d like to get involved, please get in touch
Because Nightwalk takes place mainly in the dark, even the best-behaved dogs could cause a hazard. So, we kindly ask not to bring dogs along. Dogs will not be allowed into the event village at Bideford Rugby Club.
Absolutely! We need a small army of volunteers to make Nightwalk possible. So if you would like to help out, or know someone who would, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Sign up for Nightwalk before 9th May and you will be automatically entered into a draw to win weekend tickets for up to 4 people (or a family) for Croyde's Award-winning surf and music festival, Oceanfest (20-22 June)!
All those who have registered already will also be included in the draw.
A very special thank you to Barnstaple Rugby Club, Bideford Rugby Club and Instow Yacht Club for hosting the event, and to Stagecoach for ensuring a safe journey home for our participants.
Without our fantastic sponsors, we simply couldn't stage such an awesome event. Thank you to all the local companies who have shown their support by sponsoring or offering gifts in kind, it really does make a difference to local people.
We can't wait to see you all on Saturday 17th May!
Thanks to our amazing sponsors
