Updated on 6th January 2025

Walk the Dog, Give Something Up or Simply Get Active – It’s So Easy to Raise Money For Leeds Charity Martin House

Martin House Children's Hospice needs your help to transform their Wetherby home.

Written on Things To Do Updated on 6th January 2025

Martin House Children's Hospice provides family-led free of charge hospice care for children and young people with life-shortening illnesses. Sign up to The BIG Challenge to help them transform their hospice for children and their families.

Start your New Year right while helping Leeds families in need with this trio of feel-good challenges.

Are you ready to make a difference in 2025? Join Martin House Children’s Hospice’s BIG Challenge – three fundraisers that make it simple to support a vital local cause. With three month-long challenges to choose from, this is your chance to help transform the Wetherby children’s hospice. Here’s everything you need to know.

You’ll make a real difference for children with life-shortening illnesses and their families

An exterior CGI shot of the planned Martin House improvements

Credit: Martin House

Yorkshire-based charity Martin House Children’s Hospice has been supporting children and young people with life-shortening conditions and their families since 1987. They provide free-of-charge care in hospitals, homes and from their Boston Spa hospice.

The hospice is a place where families can focus on just that – being a family. It’s a place where families can come together to play, relax, make precious memories and receive specialist palliative care. Their service is vital, and in order to keep delivering this crucial work, they need your help.

The Build is a £21 million project designed to transform the hospice. Plans include introducing new facilities like a wellbeing centre with a multi-sensory hydrotherapy pool, which will allow many families to swim together for the very first time. With just £2 million left to raise, the end is in sight.

Grab the dog and get walking this January

A dog bounding across Bingley Moor

Credit: Milo Chandler

The first of the three challenges kicks off in January – and all you need to do is walk the dog. The 31-day BIG Dog Walk mission will see you stretch those legs, walking 100km with your trusty pooch. The dog will love it, you’ll keep fit and you’ll raise money for a great cause – everyone’s a winner.

100km might sound like a lot, but it’s very manageable. Split it into daily walks and you’ll rack up the miles in no time, or plan longer weekend hikes across glorious God’s Own County. You can break it down any which way to fit your lifestyle – and nothing beats a leisurely Sunday stroll!

Fancy it? All you have to do is sign up and create a JustGiving fundraising page. Once you’ve made your page, simply share the link with your friends, families and colleagues. Don’t forget to log your walks and share updates on social media to keep your supporters engaged.

Don’t have a pooch? There are more ways to get involved

A mother and three children

If you don’t have a pup to walk, fear not, you can still get involved by walking 100km, however there are two more exciting challenges in store. First up, The BIG Give. This is your chance to give something up – whether it’s a habit you’re looking to break or something you can’t live without, curb it for a month for a worthy cause.

When March rolls around, it’s time for The BIG Move. Shake off the cobwebs and get active. Walk, swim, run or climb, the choice is yours. You can mix it up, but the goal is to get active each and every day for the full month. By the end of it, you’re guaranteed to feel great. Check back for more details in the New Year!

Full details of the February and March challenges are yet to come, but you can register your interest to get the information as soon as it lands. There’s no minimum sponsorship amount either, but you should aim to raise at least £200. Remember, every donation counts towards building a better future for the children and families that use Martin House.

Cover image credit: Martin House