It was a chilly Thursday evening in March, but we were about to turn up the heat with one of our favourite events – the Firewalk. 14 fearless fundraisers had picked up the gauntlet ready to face their fears to support us, each one bringing their family and friends to cheer them on.

Before the Firewalk began, participants received a safety briefing from the experts who were overseeing the event. They were given instructions on how to walk across the hot coals without getting burned, and they were encouraged to stay focused, confident and enthusiastically cheer their fellow walkers on.

It was time for the main event and the fire was lit. The noise from the crowd and the energetic music blasting out during the walk created a lively atmosphere. One by one the participants, having taken off their shoes and socks, stepped onto the glowing embers. The crowd went wild as each person made their way across the fiery path. 

Our colleagues in the arts team were keen to try out this one in a lifetime challenge. "It was an amazing experience!" said Rosie Watters, "We got to try something new and exciting, meet some new people and raise money for a great cause doing it. Now we have walked on fire!"

As the event came to a close, everyone gathered together to celebrate their achievements and to thank each other for their support. There were high fives and lots of chatter as people reflected on their Firewalk experience, several commenting that it was over too quickly and could have kept going! Keeley said:

The Firewalk was so fun! It was such a buzz! The Firewalk organisers really put us at ease and I met some other really lovely Charity supporters. Everyone should try it next year if you get the chance. Harefield Hospital is amazing. The teams there saved my life in 2019 and I feel really honoured to be able to fundraise to support them.

The Firewalk was a huge success, raising £4,400 to support the life-saving work of our hospitals. A huge thank you to all our firewalkers and everyone who came to cheer for making it such a fun evening. 

View all the evening's photographs on Flickr:

Inspired by our firewalkers to try something outside your comfort zone? We are taking bookings now for the Skydive this summer.

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