Record-breaking 2,500 put their best foot forward for hospice care

23rd March 2025

St Luke’s Men’s Day Out

An incredible 2,500 men took to the streets of Plymouth on Saturday, striding out to honour their much-missed loved ones and show their support for the independent charity that provides specialist end of life care for local families.

Sunny skies made an unexpected appearance as the biggest gathering yet of big-hearted chaps of all ages turned out for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Men’s Day Out, setting off from Plymouth Albion rugby ground at Devonport to walk 12km along the waterfront and through the city – a reversal of the route to ring the changes for regular participants.

The iconic sold-out event – the biggest men’s charity walk of its kind in the South West and beyond – has gained huge momentum over the years. Since it was first held in 2014, with just 574 walkers, it has raised more than £1 million through sponsorship and donations to fund the clinical, practical and emotional support St Luke’s provides for people in their last months, weeks and days of life and their families.

United by a common goal

United by a common goal, the men enjoyed a unique camaraderie as they walked, sharing light-hearted banter as well as digging deeper to reveal moving stories of their own experiences of loss and grief and how St Luke’s has helped them and their loved ones.

Most sported distinctive official navy blue event T-shirts, but as usual a host of eye-catching fancy-dress outfits added a touch of drama to the day, including a topical Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, knights of old England, Roman gladiators, cops and robbers, seagulls and chips, burger pickles, clowns and Dunkin Donuts.

You’re not alone

Steve Ladds was flying high inside a Spitfire aircraft costume he made himself, walking in memory of “my beautiful wife Allison” who was cared for by St Luke’s at Turnchapel before she died in January 2024. They had been together 43 years.

He said: “I took part in Men’s Day Out for the first time last year on 6 April, which would have been Allison’s 62nd birthday. I had an old flying helmet and goggles so decided to rustle up a flying machine to go with them this year. It’s made from about 30 years’ worth of rubbish from my shed that Allison was always telling me to get rid of, so now I have!

“St Luke’s is a fantastic organisation. Nothing is too much trouble for them. You can talk to them about anything. When you have a loss in the family, you feel like you’re alone. Coming to Men’s Day Out you are walking alongside people and you all have something in common and you realise you’re not alone, there is light at the end of the tunnel and things will get better.”

Sharing stories and raising funds

Jim Meakin, from Torpoint, and his brother Frank, from Milehouse, were walking with friends and family members, honouring their mum, who had “outstanding support” from St Luke’s many years ago, and Frank’s old school friend Charlie who died aged 62 after battling cancer for ten years.

“The support Charlie had from St Luke’s was enormous. He was such a positive person and spoke about how caring everyone at St Luke’s was,” said Frank.

“We bump into so many people and chat about fun times and that’s all because of Men’s Day Out. We also meet people we don’t know and share stories, and most importantly, we are doing it to raise funds for St Luke’s.”

Giving something back

Will Wills was taking part in Men’s Day Out for the first time, in memory of his father, Chris, who was cared for at St Luke’s specialist unit at Turnchapel and died in November last year.

He said: “St Luke’s are like everybody’s grandma. You can talk to them about things you would never dream of even thinking about. You can ask the stupidest questions, and they tell you there is no such thing as a stupid question.

“Today is about giving something back. Everyone here today has a personal reason for being here. We’re having a good time but scratch the surface and everyone has a story to tell and when you talk to someone else who understands it helps you feel better.”

As he walked with friends, Lee Willson was thinking about his dad, Lester.

“Dad has been having some issues with cancer so that makes it resonate more and writing a message on your T-shirt means you are walking for a reason,” said Lee, who is in the Navy.

“As men we are really poor at opening up and talking about our feelings and issues. Here it’s a relaxed atmosphere, everyone talks to each other as we’re walking and we’re all here because we want to do good.”

Among some of the younger participants was Will Drake, 19, walking in memory of his nan who was cared for by St Luke’s about 15 years ago. Last year he came along with his dad and enjoyed the day so much that this year he invited his childhood pals Finley Davis, Tom Ellis and Jack Llewellyn to take part.

“It’s nice to carry on the family tradition of taking part and to help keep the hospice going for future generations.”

Walking, talking and showing support

James Woodhams from Sherford, whose father was cared for by a Yorkshire hospice, said he was taking part to help the community and people who need end of life care, and enjoy the camaraderie.

“You sometimes feel isolated when you’re grieving but at Men’s Day Out everyone is walking, talking about things and showing their support. It’s a very nice way to bring people together and to highlight the great work St Luke’s does,” he said.

Georgina Dyke, St Luke’s Events Manager, was thrilled by the turnout, the atmosphere and the kind weather. She said: “It was unbelievably heart-warming to see so many men come together to support the compassionate care St Luke’s provides in the local community. Having the sun shine on us was an added bonus on what was an incredibly joyful, emotional and uplifting day.

“A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and raised funds for us this year, and to all the people whose generous support makes Men’s Day Out possible – to our main sponsors JEM Scaffolding Ltd, hosts and raffle sponsors Plymouth Albion RFC, Salcombe Brewery, Ace Double Glazing and Sir Fix a Lock Ltd, and the army of support teams and volunteers who give their time to make sure the event runs smoothly. Thank you also to the Samaritans and Andy’s Mans Club who were on hand to offer mental health support.

“We never cease to be amazed and overwhelmed by the generosity of our wonderful community. St Luke’s wouldn’t be here without you.”

Don’t forget to pay in your sponsorship money from the event, you can pay it in online via the button below or in any of our shops. You can also register your interest to take part in next year’s event.

Pay in your fundraising Register for Men’s Day Out 2026

Related articles

, ,

Cultivating care: The volunteers who keep our hospice gardens blooming

If you ever visit our specialist unit at Turnchapel one of the first things you will notice are the carefully cultivated gardens surrounding the hospice building. Every Wednesday a group of 6 volunteers have been giving up their time to dedicate some care and love to our gardens, keeping them pruned, de-weeded and full of life. Their hard work creates a peaceful, welcoming space for patients, families and staff to enjoy - a place where nature offers comfort and calm during difficult times.
, ,

BLOG: Why paramedic Jess swapped emergency sirens for hospice calm

Life as a paramedic was fast-paced, stressful and involved critical decisions every single day for Jess Timbrell. After several years of training and hands-on service on the road, she was both confident and qualified to respond in emergencies and make split-second choices to save people’s lives. But something was missing. “I always had an interest in palliative care,” said Jess. “As a paramedic, you go out to a lot of people who are at the end of life, but you can’t spend the time you want with them because emergency demand is so high. “It was so disheartening sitting with someone in an ambulance queue outside the hospital for hours, knowing they didn’t have long to live. And then when I did drop them off, I would never find out what happened to them.”
, ,

BLOG: Ben and Sean’s two-wheeled adventure for hospice care

Sean Holland and Ben Connex are taking on an epic adventure: riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back - a staggering 3,200 miles - on learner-legal 125cc motorcycles! This challenge is in memory of Sean’s brother, Colin, an avid motorcyclist, who was cared for by St Luke’s. Sean and Ben met back in 1998 on the Southwest clubbing scene and have since become firm friends and fellow riders. “We have always shared a love for two wheels and when the clubbing stopped, we became born again cyclists,” said Sean, Creative Director at NexPay, our card payment provider for all our shops.
, ,

BLOG: Santa, songs and smiles: Making Christmas memories at St Luke’s

St Luke’s was overflowing with Christmas spirit last Friday as staff went above and beyond to create a warm and joyful evening for current patients and their loved ones, as well as families who will be missing someone special for the first time this year. Team members from across our organisation came together, giving up their own time to create a magical occasion featuring sparkling decorations, festive refreshments, Christmas music and live seasonal songs from the Burraton Boys and a raffle with super prizes.
, ,

BLOG: Lighting up the season: TEC Construction brings Christmas cheer to Turnchapel

Our specialist unit at Turnchapel was filled with festive cheer last week as the kind-hearted TEC Construction helped us to light up our beautiful Christmas tree - standing tall enough for our patients to enjoy its sparkle from their windows. Thanks to TEC Construction and their local subcontractors at LTC Access Platform and ACD Electrical - the night’s sky was lit up with hundreds of multi-coloured lights and a shining star sitting atop of the impressive tree - watched on by our nurses, patients, family members and members of our community including children from Hooe Primary Academy who graced everyone with a selection of beautifully sung Christmas carols.
, ,

BLOG: Community spirit shines bright as Plympton street supports St Luke’s

Residents of Redvers Grove in Plympton, Plymouth have come together to light up their street in a dazzling display of festive cheer - all to raise vital funds for St Luke’s. Each of the neighbours on the street have adorned their houses and gardens with illuminating white Christmas lights, a tradition which started 24 years ago and has since grown as more and more people have moved to the street.
, ,

BLOG: Running for care: Darite’s festive dash

Darite Primary Academy near Liskeard brought the festive cheer to the moors with their amazing Rudolph Run! From Reception to Year 6, every child loved decorating their antlers, getting active in the fresh air, and raising money for a cause close to their hearts. Supporting St Luke’s means so much to this small but mighty school community, where families know first-hand the compassionate care we provide for loved ones at the end of life.
, ,

BLOG: Decking the Halls at Turnchapel

A sprinkling of Christmas cheer has brightened up our specialist unit this week. A group of kind-hearted volunteers from Land Registry, Plymouth volunteered their time to decorate the Christmas trees that have generously been donated to St Luke’s by Blue Diamond Endsleigh Garden Centre Ivybridge. The team spent the day adding touches of tinsel and baubles to the entrance, reception and on the wards, bringing some festive joy to not only the people staying with us, but their families, visitors and all our staff and volunteers.
, ,

BLOG: Coping at Christmas

Bereavement is hard at any time of year, but the festive season - and Christmas itself -can feel particularly challenging for anyone experiencing grief. No-one understands this more than us. As well as providing specialist end-of-life care for people with terminal illness, we offer their family members bereavement support too. This week (2-8 December) is National Grief Awareness Week, in association with The Good Grief Trust. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of grief, highlight the support on offer and to normalise conversations around it.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: Argyle match day with a difference to spotlight local hospice careBLOG: Frankie reflects on 35 years at St Luke’s as she says a fond farew...