This week, we are celebrating a special group of Hospiscare Heroes: the walkers, volunteers and sponsors who made Men’s Walk 2025 such a stomping success.
On Saturday 15 March 2025, over 1,600 people (and their four-legged friends) took part in the thirteenth annual Men’s Walk to raise vital funds for our hospice charity.
Credit: Fred Davey
Three walkers who took part in Men’s Walk – Your Way. Credit: Kerry Drew
The excitement for this year’s event was palpable as walkers streamed to the Double Locks and convened at various locations across Devon for Men’s Walk: Your Way, all wondering the same thing: will we march to a million pounds for Hospiscare today?
Credit: Sofy Robertson
With registration opening at 11am, a lengthy queue snaked its way from Double Locks along the river side, but all were in good spirits with the prospect of pints, pasties and rugby ahead. Walkers posed for photos with the Men’s Walk frame, bought raffle tickets and chatted to members of our nursing staff, including our Clinical Director, Ann Rhys.
Credit: Sofy Robertson
At 11am, the queue surged forwards and walkers were rapidly registered by our friendly staff and volunteers. After t-shirts were donned, some bearing 2025’s ‘March to a million’ and some recycled from previous years, many walkers enjoyed their first pint of the day in the new re-usable Men’s Walk cups.
Credit: Matthew Duriez
At midday, the walkers set off from Double Locks on their 7-mile route along Exeter’s picturesque quayside, guided along the route by the signage put in place by our volunteers and staff. Our friendly volunteer marshals were stationed along the way, offering words of encouragement as well as assistance in staying on the route.
Credit: Fred Davey
Our walkers were blessed with the weather this year as although the day was cold, the sun made plenty of appearances and the rain stayed away. Many walkers stopped along the route to enjoy the various pub gardens on offer, as well as taking up the photo opportunities offered by our team of volunteer photographers!
Credit: Sofy Robertson
The prospect of a hot pasty back at Double Locks spurred our walkers on and further refreshments in the form of hot bacon baps and cuppas were kindly provided by the Rapid Relief Team. These were a huge hit to warm up our walkers after they’d passed Miller’s Crossing Bridge. We would like to say a big thank you to the Rapid Relief Team for giving our walkers this much-needed refuelling opportunity!
Steve ‘Pasty Man’ Whitefield (right). Credit: Sofy Robertson
‘Pasty man’ Steve Whitfield, who rose to Men’s Walk fame with his iconic pasty shot in 2020 (recreated in subsequent years to truly earn his pasty title) took on the ‘Your Way’ option this year. Steve started his walk in Exmouth and passed many fellow Men’s Walkers as he reached Exeter Quay on Saturday afternoon, stopping for a quick chat and photo opportunity (sadly, sans pasty) before continuing on his route.
Credit: Sofy Robertson
Over the course of the afternoon, our incredible walkers arrived back at Double Locks, rewarded with a pint of beer from Exeter Brewery and a hot pasty from Chunk of Devon. We are so grateful to Exeter Brewery and Chunk of Devon for providing the refreshments for Men’s Walk; it wouldn’t be the same without a pint and a pasty.
Credit: Sofy Robertson
Our walkers settled into the marquees, ready to watch the Wales v England rugby match. And what result could be better than England winning the match? The news that our incredible Men’s Walkers, and all those that supported them, marched to a million for Hospiscare.
Men’s Walk 2025 has raised over £160,000, which is a new record for the charity and something we’re all immensely proud of.
Credit: Sofy Robertson
We are so grateful to every person (and pawson!) who took part in Men’s Walk 2025. By signing up to the event and galvanising your loved ones to support you, you have made a lasting difference to local end-of-life care.
Credit: Ellie Williams
Men’s Walk would not be possible without our incredible team of volunteers, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that each and every Men’s Walker has the best experience possible. From pouring pints at the Double Locks to photographing our walkers along the route, every volunteer role is vital to Men’s Walk’s success.
Team Wilkinson Grant celebrating completing their Men’s Walk – Credit: Ellie Williams
Our thanks also go to Wilkinson Grant who have sponsored the event for the twelfth consecutive year. Not only are they our Men’s Walk sponsors, they also entered a team of 20 and were right there with us, marching to a million.
Men’s Walk 2025 proved that thirteen is certainly not an unlucky number. We can’t wait to do it all again in 2026 for Men’s Walk’s fourteenth year, but until then, why not head over to our Facebook page to look back through all of the photos from this year’s march to a million.
