How to plan a remembrance walk at dusk

A remembrance walk is the form of glow walk that asks most of its organisers, because the people walking are carrying more than a lantern. Done with care, it is also the one people are most grateful for.

Set the tone early

Decide in one sentence what you want walkers to feel when they leave. “Glad they came, and less alone” is a good one. Use that sentence to test every choice: the music, the words, the lighting, even the wording of the poster.

Dusk suits this kind of walk. The light changes slowly, nobody needs to speak, and by the end the lights people are carrying are the brightest thing there.

Dedications

Give every walker a way to name the person they are walking for:

• A tag to write on and pin to a coat or tie to a lantern.
• A dedication line on the sign-up form, with permission to display it.
• A list of names printed or projected at the finish, for those who want it.

Make all of it optional. Some people want the name seen. Others want to keep it to themselves.

The memory point

Choose a sheltered spot a little after halfway, off the main path. Light it warmly. Give people one simple thing to do there:

• Hang a tag on a lit string or a tree.
• Place a light in a row with the others.
• Drop a written message into a jar.

Have two calm volunteers there, not to manage but to be present. Allow people to stay as long as they like, and let the back marker wait for them.

Words and music

Less is more. One short reading or a few sentences from someone at the start is enough. Avoid long speeches. If you have music, choose it for the memory point and keep it quiet: a single instrument or a small choir. Leave the rest of the route to conversation and footsteps.

Be careful with religious content unless the event belongs to a faith community. Many walkers will hold different beliefs, or none.

Looking after walkers

• Tell people in advance what will happen, so nobody is surprised by the memory point.
• Brief marshals that some walkers are recently bereaved and may want quiet, or company.
• Have someone with bereavement support experience at the event, and details of where to find support printed on a card.
• Provide seating at the memory point and the finish.
• Keep a quiet area at the finish away from the refreshments.

Children

Children often take part to remember a grandparent or parent. Give them something active to do: decorate a lantern beforehand, carry the light, hang the tag. Let the adult with them decide how much to explain.

The finish

Warmth matters here: hot drinks, light, people to talk to. Announce the total and say what it will do, briefly. Then let people leave in their own time. Some will stay for an hour. That is a sign it worked.

Afterwards

Tell walkers what happens to the tags and messages. Many hospices display them for a time, then keep or respectfully dispose of them. Say which, so nobody wonders.

For the organising side, see a glow walk for hospice care and how to organise a glow walk.