Yes- you can bring friends and family to watch you from the event village. Please issue them with the pass that will be enclosed in your postal fundraising pack!
Children’s palliative care is an active and total approach to care, from the point of diagnosis or recognition, throughout the child’s life, death and beyond. It embraces physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements and focuses on the enhancement of quality of life for the baby, child or young person and support for the family. It includes the management of symptoms, provision of short breaks and care through death and bereavement. (Definition: Together for Short Lives)
Yes, for some roles. We have a responsibility to protect the babies, children and young people we work with, so we will carry out a DBS (formerly CRB) or disclosure check where needed. This can sometimes take up to a month, but is not a difficult process and you will be given help to complete the forms if necessary.
Payroll Giving is taken straight from your gross (pre-tax) pay so there is no need for us to claim any tax back through Gift Aid, which saves us additional admin costs. If you are a 40% or 45% taxpayer, Payroll Giving is the only way we can automatically receive all your tax on a donation.
The cost of each CHSW Raffle ticket is £1. Each ticket has a unique number. There is a minimum purchase of 5 tickets and a maximum of 200 tickets per CHSW Raffle.
You need to arrive between 5:00pm and 6:15pm at the latest to give you enough time to sign in, hand in your candle bag and collect your T-shirt. There will be music and entertainment throughout the evening. The memory ceremony will begin promptly at 6:30pm and the walk will begin with staggered starts between 7:00pm and 7:15pm.
You need to arrive between 6.00pm and 6.45pm at the latest to give you enough time to sign in, collect your tealight and T-shirt, and be ready for the safety briefing. There will be musical entertainment throughout the evening. The walk will leave at 7.30pm, after a Memory Ceremony.
You need to arrive by 6.45pmpm to give you enough time to sign in, collect your tealight and T-shirt, and be ready for the safety briefing. The walk will begin at 7.30pm after the Memory Ceremony.
We're sorry you're not happy with the level of service you've received.
As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, we always aim to provide the highest level of customer service to all of our supporters.
We'd really like the opportunity to put things right. So here's what to do if you have a complaint about fundraising.
The following wave times are available for each of our Santa Runs :
The departure train times will be:
You'll need to arrive at least one hour before your start time to sign in, hand in your sponsorship, enjoy the event village and warm up!
No. In most instances your comments should appear on the site shortly after you submit the comment. As part of the moderation process certain words are prohibited and will result in a comment being flagged for review prior to appearing on the site. The use of hyperlinks will also result in a comment being flagged for review prior to appearing on the site. In addition, if a comment is flagged by the community it may be removed from the site. CHSW reserves the right to remove any comment at anytime.
If you receive an error message that your credit or debit card has been declined - but you are sure your details are all correct - then please contact the bank that issued the card to you to find out why.
It is worth checking if any of the following apply, as these can prevent payments going through:
Incredible Hike is designed to offer a challenge to walkers and hikers of all abilities. You will need a good level of fitness in time for the event, as each day you will be walking around 20 miles, for up to 9 hours, incorporating several hills and potentially rough terrain. Our training plan will help you get ready and offers you ideas tobe event fit.
Yes, please email Kate if you would like to help with this
Pacer times will be confirmed leading up to event day.
Please bring your running number, which will have been posted to you with your fundraising pack. You will need to bring safety pins to attach your number to your front ready for the start of the race. If you have lost your number please come to the Information Tent where we can issue you with another. We recommend you to bring a change of clothes, sunglasses, sheets for your car and a water bottle which you can refill for free on the day. Feel free to also bring a picnic with snacks, but there will be food vendors in the event village. Don't forget to bring cash to be able to play games in the event village.
Absolutely - we will support people taking on all kinds of challenges, and can provide fundraising support and a member of the overseas challenge events team dedicated to looking after you.
Families are advised on how and when they are able to book hospice stays. In addition to planned short break nights, emergency stays can be arranged. These are organised on an “as needed” basis.
The way families use their respite stays is determined to suit their personal circumstances, we aim to be as flexible as possible in responding to needs. Some families prefer long visits while others might choose a weekend every few months. We hope each family would feel free to discuss their individual needs with us.
Our volunteering opportunities don't require a formal interview. We will ask you to complete a volunteer registration form to find out more about you. An informal meet and greet session will then be arranged. This gives us an opportunity to tell you more about our work and role, and to learn about your interests and skills.
You can stop or change your donation at any time by informing your payroll department. If you're stopping your donation, it would be great if you could let us know too.
If you change employer, you will need to check whether your new employer runs a Payroll Giving scheme.
Unfortunately we cannot claim Gift Aid on funds raised through the raffle, but if you choose to make a donation with your ticket purchase, we can claim Gift Aid on that.
Our in person event at The Lost Gardens of Heligan will take place in the dark, however we'll marshal the route for your safety. We recommend you bring a torch and mobile phone. We will be lighting the paths with candles bags in special areas around the route and some areas will be lit with Heligan’s beautiful lighting.
The event will take place in the dark, however we'll marshal the route for your safety and there are street lights on the route. We recommend you bring a torch and mobile phone.
The walk will take place in the dark, however we'll marshal the route for your safety. We recommend you bring a torch and mobile phone but much of the route will be lit with Powderham Castle's beautiful lighting.
Absolutely! If it’s a staff fundraiser you’re planning, register your event and have a look at our fundraising ideas page for inspiration!
If your company would like to get involved in other ways or you would like to donate a percentage of sales of a product towards our work, get in touch with Corporate Fundraising Team.
Unfortunately, if the back marshal or train has already departed you will be unable to take part in the run for health and safety reasons. So please ensure you arrive in plenty of time to register and attend the warm up and safety briefing at the times given in your fundraising pack.
If there is space at a following wave time at the Eden Project or Plym Valley Railway, we may able to fit you onto the next wave.
Online giving websites are an extremely effective way to easily boost your fundraising total. They work by allowing sponsors to log on to a fundraiser's unique page and sponsor them using a credit or debit card. The money from online fundraising pages (e.g. Just Giving / Virgin Money Giving) gets automatically sent through to CHSW and added to your total, so no need for paper forms!
Yes, you can. You can give make a donation online.
You can also call us on 01271 325 270 to donate using a credit or debit card.
You can create a free online fundraising page, personalise it with a photo and share it with friends and family by message, email or on social media. They can donate quickly and securely online with a credit or debit card. Create your page now at JustGiving page and save yourself the hassle of collecting the money! We will also supply you with a sponsor form so you can do it the old fashioned way!
Generally, entry fees are non-refundable, however, under exceptional circumstances it may be possible. Please see our event terms and conditions for more information.
Yes! We allocate any children a different colour so our paint throwers know to adapt their paint throwing style to suit a younger audience, to make it safe and fun for everyone. On the day, please start in the coloured group matching the colour of your youngest team member.
Required fitness levels depend on the trip you are taking part in and your current level of fitness. These trips are not targeted at experienced trekkers, so we will have people of all abilities on the event. We do advise that everyone should train for the event, as the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy yourself. We also advise people to go at their own pace on the event – it is not a race, and the idea is to enjoy yourself.
Our team of dedicated volunteers help run our charity shops across the South West, both behind the scenes and on the shop floor. Our retail roles consist of:
Writing a will is not as expensive as you might think. Solicitors can provide estimates on request, but the cost will depend on how complex your affairs are.
CHSW offer a Free Will Writing service to our supporters. Please visit our Free Will Writing service page to find out more.
The Raise a smile Lottery is a weekly lottery which helps to raise funds for Children's Hospice South West to provide hospice care and support for babies, children and young people living with life-limiting conditions and their families.
It's one of the simplest ways of supporting CHSW regularly and each ticket gives you the chance of winning 1 of 15 prizes including the Bonus Rollover. Weekly draws normally takes place every Friday.
It's not a race! The route will approximately take 1hour to 1.5 hours to complete. There will be front walking marshals that will set the pace but they must not be passed by any participants for strict health and safety reasons.
This year we have the addition of memory points along the route to stop and make a memory whilst remembering your loved ones. We anticipate the event to be finished by 9.30pm.
We will have musical entertainment along the route, so please do take your time and enjoy the walk whilst remembering happy memories of your loved ones. We anticipate the event to be finished by 9.00pm.
We will have music and memory points for you to enjoy as you walk the route. We anticipate you will finish by 9.30pm at the latest.
We are dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives, providing the best possible hospice care for life-limited children and their families from the South West. We couldn't continue this work without you. Read some inspiring stories to see the life-changing impact of our work. Thank you again for your support.
Dogs are allowed into the Eden Project but are not permitted to take part in the event and will need to remain with family or friends who are spectating during the race. They cannot come into the event village which is situated inside of The Gallery.
Due to not being able to board the train carriages, dogs are unable to take part in the event.
Yes! We welcome dogs at this event (just make sure to clean up after them)
Yes! You can read our most recent Annual Report and Impact Review, which is accessible in our Publications section.
Online giving websites are an extremely effective way to easily boost your fundraising total. They work by allowing sponsors to log on to a fundraiser's unique page and sponsor them using a credit or debit card. The money from online fundraising pages (e.g. Just Giving / Virgin Money Giving) gets automatically sent through to CHSW and added to your total, so no need for paper forms!
We ask every Incredible Hiker to commit to raising the suggested minimum sponsorship of £1,000. Your registration fee covers the cost of your event support, hotel stays, food and Team Hike apparel.
You can complete it anywhere! Your local swimming pool, lake, sea or river. Anywhere that you can make a splash!
Yes- we ask you register yourself and the members of your group who are taking part as we are limiting places at the event venues. Only children aged 5 and over can take part in this event. We are not accepting on-the-day sign-ups. Register early for a discount on our full-price tickets.
Life-limiting conditions are those for which there is no reasonable hope of cure and from which children will die. Some of these conditions cause slow deterioration over time rendering the child increasingly dependent on parents and carers.
Life-threatening conditions are those for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail, such as cancer.
(Definition: Together for Short Lives)
Yes you can. If you think your disability might make it difficult for you to volunteer, please call us on 01271 325 270 and have a chat with our HR team about your needs. We can advise on which of our opportunities are accessible to you.
Yes. All you have to do to stop or change your donation is to directly notify your payroll department.
Ticket numbers are drawn randomly on the date of the draw, once a ticket is drawn it is removed from the draw, therefore it is not possible for 1 number to win more than 1 prize. Prizes are allocated in the order of the tickets drawn from 1st prize to 3rd prize.
The British weather is notoriously unpredictable, so we will be keeping an eye on the forecast. If the weather is deemed unsafe, we will postpone the event and alternative date will be arranged and you will be notified by text and email. If you cannot make the alternative date, a refund will be offered, or you can offer your event fee as a donation.
If achievable, the format of the evening may change to allow it still to go ahead in some form.
Absolutely. Getting your company involved in fundraising is a brilliant way to motivate your workforce as staff members across all levels can work towards a common positive goal. CHSW runs a very successful Charity of the Year (COTY) programme, as well as a Give as You Earn scheme.
Our Charlton Farm Santa run only has one wave and start time.
If we have space on an alternative wave time at our Eden Projet or Plym Valley Railway Santa runs, we'll try to to accommodate your request.
Please call Little Harbour on 01726 871 800 at least one week prior to the event to request a change.
Read our comments policy.
You should receive all your purchases within fourteen working days of placing your order. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.
If you have not received your order and it is after the expected date of arrival (allowing a couple of days for postal delays) then please contact us so we can look into this for you and, if appropriate, send a replacement. We can change the delivery address of any replacements if required.
You will need to be 18 years at the time of the event to be able to take part.
No, it's not essential. We would love it if you could raise money for Children's Hospice South West but we also understand you may already have a charity you would like to support.
Unfortunately, your place is non-transferable and non-refundable. If you cannot now take part please let us know.
Every participant in a Children’s Hospice South West Challenge Event, no matter what the event is, will receive:
For more information on the support available from Children’s Hospice South West, have a look at our fundraising page.
CHSW operates a Sibling Service at each hospice, providing dedicated support and care to the brothers and sisters of babies, children and young people living with life-limiting conditions.
During family stays, the siblings can spend as much or as little time as needed with a devoted Sibling Team. Contact is maintained with the siblings during their time at the hospice, between visits with newsletters, emails and days out and after their brother or sister’s death, for as long as they need.
Consideration will be given to short term work experience placements at your local CHSW shop but levels of work cannot always be guaranteed. If you are interested in arranging a placement or having a placement yourself please complete the enquiry form on our contact us page.
If you have any concerns, please call 01271 313 311, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm. At all other times please leave a message on our answerphone or complete our online enquiry form. All complaints and disputes will be dealt with in accordance with the Complaints Policy.
Based on the 2023/2024 financial year, the odds of winning 1 of the 12 prizes is 1 in 1,305. Odds for our 2024 Raffle will depend on the amount of tickets sold.
Any money you raise on an online giving platform is automatically transferred to CHSW after the event.
You will need a licence from your local authority for an event that includes any of the following activites:
For more help and advice please contact your local community fundraising team.
Please bring with you your coin collection and gingerbread coin collection houses on the day to hand in at registration. Please make sure you write your names on these so that we know who the money has come from, and we can allocate it to your fundraising total.
We recommend you don't send in cash through the post. Please remove your coins from your coin collection and then donate for them on our online donation page along with any other sponsorship you've collected.
You can send your sponsor forms and coin collection card along with a cheque to:
You can also add any offline sponsorship to your online Just Giving page that you may have set up. You can bank the money you have collected and then make a payment on your own donation page. All money raised on an online giving page automatically is sent through to us - you don’t have to do a thing!
Unfortunately it is inevitable that, with so many runners, some people will get injured in training for a race. What happens next depends on how you got your place and what race you are doing.
If you are using your 'own place' to run for CHSW (i.e. you obtained it directly from the organisers of that race) you simply need to let them know you can no longer take part. They will decide whether you can defer your place to the following year. We'd also appreciate it if you could let us know so we know how many runners to expect on the day.
If you have a guaranteed charity place, which you obtained by paying a registration fee with CHSW, then you must let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to take part in your event. We cannot automatically defer your place to next year's event, and all registration fees are non-refundable.
Please email enquiries@chsw.org.uk or call us on 01271 325 270. Tell us your name and the time, date and value of your donation, and we’ll be able to help.
A full kit list and advice on what else you should bring is available on the Ride for Precious Lives web page.
Yes, all participants running the Marathon need to be 18 or older. All participants running the Half Marathon need to be 17 or older. 10k participants must be 15 or older.
Each Final Mile participant will need to have a parent/guardian or teacher with them
We suggest all Rainbow Runners wear sunglasses to prevent paint drifting into your eyes. It is the adult's responsibility to ensure children in their group wear sunglasses during the event.
We will have sunglasses for sale on the day for £2.
If you have not done any exercise for some time we recommend you visit your doctor before starting your training. Our tour operators provide training guidelines when you sign up.
We rely on the support of volunteers across all departments. From covering reception to serving refreshments in our hospices and helping in our shops, our volunteers enable us to raise funds and deliver our services. You can find available opportunities on our volunteering opportunities page.
Opportunities include:
Of course you can. Your Will is your document and you can include, exclude, add or remove whoever you wish. If you change your mind or if your personal circumstances change, you are free to change your Will as many times as you wish. You don’t need to let us know either; it is entirely your choice.
Only persons aged 18 years or over and resident in Great Britain are eligible to play the Raise a smile Lottery including CHSW Staff and their families. However, CHSW staff who are directly involved with running the CHSW Raffle and CHSW Directors are not eligible to play.
You can find Children’s Hospice South West on virginmoneygiving.com. Check out our tips on setting up your online fundraising page.
Yes of course! If you are in any doubt as to whether the route will be suitable, please do get in touch. A named carer can also assist a disabled entrant for free, please call your local fundraising office to register their details.
Please let us know if you are taking part in a wheelchair by adding this to your registration so we can ensure there is availability on the train for your chosen wave.
The route is fully accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, although there are slight inclines on the route, and two or three small speedbumps.
Yes you need to have a Discus account and in order to leave a comment you will be required to login. You can login using your social media or Disqus accounts.
We ask that you pay in your full fundraising amount within one month of your event.
Please let us know if you are not going to be able to pay in your money on time for any reason.
Single rooms are limited and subject to availability, these will also incur a single room supplement. Please email Kate if you would like to request a single room.
All other rooms are twin/triple share. If you would like to share a room with someone you know, you can enter their name on the registration form. If you don’t indicate your preferred buddy, we will allocate your room with another member of ‘Team Hike’. Women and men who are unknown to each other will not be placed in the same room.
To show us and your supporters you have completed your splash, we recommend adding all offline donations to your JustGiving, which will track your online donations. We'd also love to see photos of your challenge so please add them to your page! You can also share this on the Be Incredible Facebook page so we can see your incredible efforts!
Yes, of course! the course is flat and on a solid surface. Carers can take part for free. Please contact us on 01726 871 800 if you require someone to push you in a wheelchair
All our services are completely free to families who are referred to us.
Volunteers are covered by CHSW's insurance policy while engaged in any work on behalf of CHSW.
Your Payroll Giving donation automatically stops when you leave your job. It's easy to start giving through the scheme again. Simply contact the payroll department at your new workplace.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, an average of 53p in every £1 went directly to fund care for babies, children, young people and families. 22p was used to fund prizes and 24p covered the cost of running the CHSW Raffle.
Unfortunately dogs are not able to take part this year due to limited space in the event village and low lighting which may result in leads becoming a trip hazard.
If you have an assisstance dog that you will be beinging to the event, please call Charlton Farm office on 01275 866 600 to let us know.
Yes you can! Just take a look at our YouTube channel where you'll find lots of short films to help you highlight and promote our work and your fundraising.
You will receive a medal at the finish line.
The CHSW website uses an external service called Disqus for the technical management and publication of comments.
Disqus is a web discussion platform with Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality. The Disqus service bears sole responsibility for identifying users and publishing comments.
For more information concerning the Disqus service’s terms of use (including the policies and procedures regarding the collection of users’ personally identifiable data), please read their privacy policy.
Worldpay will not accept any postcodes that do not contain a space. Please enter a space in the correct place in your postcode.
You will need to be 18 years at the time of the event to be able to take part.
No, please contact us if your query concerns a guide dog.
The Rainbow Run powder paint is non-toxic, 100% safe and biodegradable. It is technically edible, although we do not advise that you eat it as its not very tasty! If you have a skin allergy or respiratory condition we would recommend that you consult your doctor for advice.
We have a team of fundraisers here at CHSW who are on hand to offer you any ideas and advice you may need. Our first tip would be to set up an online fundraising page, and then to investigate whether your company or any local businesses will be able to support you.
As all teenagers wish to be independent, the hospice also holds teenage focused weekends, giving them the opportunity to come and stay without their families.
Three different weekends are arranged each year, plus 1 sensory teenage week. The weekends are often themed to suit varied interests including pamper days, cars and games.
It gives the teenagers the chance to socialise with others and time to talk about their experiences.
Yes. Many of our volunteers work full time. We aim to provide flexible roles which can be carried out around your other commitments, be they work, family or leisure.
GambleAware is administered and funded by an independent charity GambleAware®, it provides confidential support and counselling to people aged 18 years or over affected by gambling. Visit GambleAware or telephone 0808 8020 133 (local call rate from the UK).
The CHSW Raffle is a fun and engaging way for Children's Hospice South West to raise much needed funds. Each ticket gives you the chance of winning 1 of 12 fabulous prizes.
Entries close on Tuesday 3 September. The draw takes place at midday on Wednesday 18 September.
No problem. Please get in touch with your Event Fundraiser and they will support you with any queries or help you need.
The CHSW logo is a registered trademark and can only be used within certain guidelines, so please contact us on marketing@chsw.org.uk before you use it on your printed materials. We have a specific version of the logo that we give to our supporters and we can supply it in whichever format you need.
Remember we can also provide posters with space to write your event details.
Please note that all images are usually copyrighted by their owners and you either require permission or must pay a fee to the image owner. Please ask us for images if you want to create a bespoke event poster and please do not "borrow" them from the internet or any other source without seeking the relevant permission from the owner.
Your printed materials/websites should include the statement:
‘All proceeds from the event will go to Children's Hospice South West’
The Children's Hospice South West registered charity number must also appear on all printed materials. This can be in small print and must appear as follows: ‘CHSW is registered charity no 1003314'.
Please refer to our T&Cs regarding refunds.
The London Marathon is one of the most popular events in the UK and there is a huge demand for places. We aim to allocate our London Marathon charity places as fairly as possible however we only have a very limited number of places available and unfortunately we are not able to guarantee a place to everyone who applies. To give yourself the best possible chance of getting a Team CHSW charity place, please sign up here and give us as much information as you can about why you would like to run for us, how much you realistically think you can fundraise and how you plan to do so.
You can set up a regular gift online. If you have any problems please call us on 01271 325 270.
Your luggage will be transferred between each hotel across the 3 days. We ask you bring no more than 1 overnight bag and 1 day bay. You will be provided with luggage labels for each.
You can defer Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k places to next year for an admin fee of £5 Please email runbarnstaple@chsw.org.uk
However, individuals cannot transfer to another CHSW event or transfer their place to another runner. Race distance changes or deferrals to 2027 must be received by 23 September 2026.