Simply sign up, and your ready-made page on our leaderboard will be created, set your target and spread the word far and wide! The only essential is to let everyone know you’re taking on this challenge for a great cause, so they can donate and support you like the HHUGS Hero you are!

This is our annual Winter Walk in support of the families impacted by counter terror measures to stay warm, healthy and safe this winter.

For our supporters in Yorkshire and Lancashire, this year our Winter Walk will be taking place in the stunning landscape of St Ives Estate, Bingley.

Our London will be at Hampstead Heath on the 28th January

London Walk – transport will not be provided.

Bradford – Yes, transport from Bradford will be provided.

The meeting point is: The Islam Bradford Centre, 1 City Rd, Bradford BD8 8ER

Meeting time: 9am

Subject to sufficient demand, transport will be provided from Manchester and Blackburn.

For the St Ives Walk, for a reduced registration fee of £10 per adult, £5 per child, you can make your own way to St Ives Estate Car Park BD16 1AS, Bingley and meet us there for 10am.

London

Bus:

The nearest buses would be the 603, 210 or the C11. the C11 would be the closest, stopping at Parliament Hill Fields.

Via Tube:

Gospel Oak on the Overground or Belsize Park on the Northern Line

By Car:

We’ll be beginning our route at the Parliament Hill Café, the closest car park to which will be the one near Gordon House Road.

Bradford

By bus

Four bus services stop by the entrance to St Ives Estate on Harden Road. The 616 & 619 from Bradford Interchange or the K17 & K19 from Keighley Bus Station. For bus timetable information contact Metro on 0113 2457676 or www.wymetro.com

By train

Bingley Train Station is only 15-20 mins walk or 5 mins taxi ride from the estate entrance. There are regular services from Leeds, Bradford or Skipton.

By car

When arriving in Bingley, from Main Street follow directions to Harden, across Ireland Bridge over the River Aire and go up Harden Road for about 1 mile. You will find the main entrance on the right. There is a second entrance on Keighley Road too but can be a more difficult access on a busy day.

Car Park Charges

• £1 for up to 2 hours
• £2 for up to four hours
• £3 for over four hours.

A number of bays at each entrance will offer free parking for a maximum of two hours. Blue badge holders may park in any area free of charge, and a number of bays are designated for disable parking. Parking charges will apply everyday between 9am and 5pm.

There are four car parks on the estate but we will meet at the Bottom car park: it is near the main southern entrance on Harden Road. This is the biggest car park and there is now a pathway running along the road which takes you all the way up to the play area.

Absolutely anyone who is fit and able to walk can participate in our winter walk. Participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian. The event is open to both individuals and groups, so please invite your friends, families, neighbours and colleagues to join you. If you’re part of a Scout, youth group or school why not get your colleagues involved?

The path is surfaced and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

You will be walking 5 miles around a nature reserve/park for 3 hours. People of all fitness levels are welcome to the challenge, and hence why people are willing to sponsor you to do the walk. If you have any medical conditions, please consult your doctor before you register for the walk.

Wear comfortable footwear (walking boots or trainers are advisable), warm and waterproof clothing.

The routes are generally gentle to stroll through and trouble-free. Risk assessments have been conducted and stewards will be informed on the day of any spots which require attention.

St Ives Estate is a 550 acre (271 hectare) gem for all the people in the area and beyond. It is also the largest Bradford District park. For the nature lovers, it’s a wildlife heaven with a mix of wooded areas, pine plantations, meadows, moorland and ponds. For the casual ramblers, there are many paths crisscrossing the estate. The estate is also the home to an 18 hole golf course, a massive play area, an archery, an equestrian centre, a café and many picnic areas. When passing the River Aire, you will have a chance to see deer, stoats and herons, if you are lucky a kingfisher, and of course ducks.

Prior to the walk, we will have a group event briefing. All participants you be provided with a printed and electronic route map with details of what to do in the unlikely event of getting lost and injured. There will also be HHUGS staff and volunteers guiding you along the way, and qualified First Aid representatives to help you along your walk.

Yes, you will be provided with a sandwich, crisps, fruit and water. (Chicken and vegetarian options available).

Yes, there is often a hot food van on site as well as an ice cream van in the main car park, mainly at weekends or in good weather only.

Bring a water proof jacket and/or umbrella, a water bottle and a fully charged mobile phone.

Upon arrival, you will need to register at the Registration Desk with HHUGS staff and volunteers. There you will be issued with a map of the route, lunch and other items.

Bradford: Yes, there are toilets located next to the children’s play area, which are open 9am-4pm. Accessible toilets are also available in the children’s play area though there is not level access to this toilet. Please note there are no dedicated baby change facilities within the toilets. We advise all participants to use the toilets and make wudhu on arrival, before we start.

Yes, we will set up a prayer area and ablution can be performed in the toilet facilities near the playground if required.

Yes, our walks at St Ives Estate and Hampstead Heath are suitable for children. However, if your child suffers from any health problems, please consult your doctor before you register for the walk

We ask all participants to fundraise £150. We are confident however that with a little effort, participants can easily raise far more than the minimum £150 target!

If you are attending our London or Bradford walk, participants will need to pay registration fee to cover the costs of lunch, guides and event costs.

• £10 for Adults
• £5 for Children
• Under 3s are free

If you are attending from Bradford and will be booking a place on our transport, then the registration fee for the event, inclusive of coach transport, is £15 per person.

If you are organizing your own challenge winter walk, then there’s no fee!

Yes, the registration fee must be paid by Friday 10th February 2023, 12pm for the Bradford walk.

Absolutely! You can do your own walk, any time, any day, any way.

Walking in Their Shoes has traditionally been a 5 mile walk. However, as this is all about doing it Your Way, it’s entirely up to you. Only you know what will stretch yourself. You might want to increase it to 10, 15 or 20 miles or take on a greater challenge over the Winter months.

You can hold your Walking in Their Shoes challenge at any time between now and the end of Winter – February 28^th 2022.

You might choose to do it all in a day, or instead you may prefer to break down your distance goals into chunks that suit you, across multiple days or split the distance and take it on as a relay.

The beauty of this challenge is that you can choose where you walk, wherever you are in the world. Whether your content with your local park or want to venture further out to witness some of the most scenic spots in your country; maybe you prefer stick to the safety of laps in your garden or even by covering the distance on your stairs – however, you choose to do it, by going the distance this Winter you will bring HHUGS families closer to warm relief during this icy season.

If you’re struggling for inspiration, get in touch with our Fundraising Team and we can help suggest locations for your walk, local to you, depending on the distance and difficulty you would like to undertake for your challenge.

Aside from changing the lives of families in need this Winter, there are many benefits to walking:

Physical health – As well as reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, regular physical activity keeps your body healthy and strong. It can help your blood pressure, help you to sleep better and keep your heart healthy. Walking can help you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. By getting into regular walking habit, you will feel more energetic and awake over time.

Mental health – Walking can reduce anxiety, improve self-esteem, reduce stress and build a greater sense of calm. Look after your mind as well as your body.

Pushing out of your comfort zone and achieving – Whether you walk along the coast, trek a mountain or take multiple flights of stairs, feel the rush as you tick off the miles towards completing your Walking in Their Shoes challenge.

Easy. Your fundraising page will be set up automatically when you register and will be added to our very own leaderboard system, the first gaming leaderboard to be created by any charity!

Once you’ve set your target, share the page with your friends, family and colleagues. It’ll have all the details of the challenge you’re taking on – and allows people to sponsor you and donate straight to HHUGS, quickly and easily online.

£150 may seem daunting at first, but it’s really as simple as getting 15 friends to donate £10.

If that’s a breeze, you can set your heights on a higher target – £500 or £1000 – easily achieved with just 20 friends donating £50.

Many novice fundraisers have doubted they could raise £150 but with sincere intentions, du’a and the help of Allah they went to raise £1000 in the space of a few days. Some went on to smash the target by raising £5000 or £10000!! So never underestimate what you can achieve!

We’re on hand to support and encourage you at every stage, and if you’re not a confident wordsmith, we can even provide template messages for you to share if you’re short of ideas.   Remember to use all means at your disposal to share your page – WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and SMS. Some even made videos to encourage people, and got their parents and children to compete with them in the process!  Whether you’re a novice or an experienced fundraiser, this method is tried and tested.

Here are a few tips:

Fundraising pages are just like paper sponsorship forms, except they’re online, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with cash, cheques and chasing sponsors after the event is finished. You could even create your own fundraising team to help you spread the word!

Level up your profile – Add an image, complete your story and set your event date.

Kick-start your fundraising by donating to yourself. It’s a great way to begin your fundraising!

Set a target: Aim high and keep your friends and family updated on how close you are to reach your goal!

Spread the word. Once your page has been created you can share it with your contacts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. You can also share it via a SMS message, e-mailing your contacts, or sending a WhatsApp and Telegram broadcast to your friends and family. Don’t forget to share it on any groups that you’re on.

You can also share it on your story on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.

Change your profile picture on all your social media platforms to our very own fundraiser avatar. You can even add it to your email signature! And of course don’t forget the old fashioned way of speaking to friends and family on the phone too!

Let everyone know when the countdown to your challenge has begun by using our social media badges and sharing your page on your social media channels.

Use social media to promote your walk through status updates, posting photos as your train, or undertake your walk, making videos, sending messages. Encourage others to join you if it’s safe to do so and you’re in a group of six!

Think of fun ways to help donations roll in and the hours will fly by.

Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask for tips from other fundraisers on our WhatsApp groups or asking staff for ways to energise donors if you find you’re getting stuck.

Here are some other ways to help:

Get your fundraising matched by a colleague, workplace or friend·

Contact your local press and radio stations with your fundraising·

Contact local businesses for their support by asking them to sponsor you·

We can send you a Charity Collection Penny Box which you can place at home or work if you’re back in the office, and even at the till of your local take away (with permission!). Order yours now at hhugs.org.uk/pennybox.

Even if a lot of events have ceased, you can still contact your ISOC, School, Scouts groups and others to get involved to support your fundraising.

Remember, HHUGS are here to help so you can kick start your fundraising!

Not being active on social media doesn’t mean you can’t take part. Those traditional methods of direct fundraising served us well for many years and still work wonders. We will set you up with everything you need from the get go and even provide a penny box upon request (just call 0207 733 2104 or email [email protected]). Download our Fundraising Toolkit for a complete A-Z of fundraising idea and simple steps that will help you achieve fundraising success.

You don’t have to do anything. We receive it automatically whether you use our leaderboard, GiveBrite, JustGiving or MuslimGiving. Thank you!

Of course, you can. If people have given you your sponsor money in cash, or made a bank transfer to you, and you want us to add this to your page, simply pay it in yourself. Alternatively, you can simply click “Add cash donation” and we’ll be in touch to verify your offline donation before it is added to your page. You can send a cheque (with the reference Winter Walk + Your name) with your completed sponsorship form to:

HHUGS
4^th floor
43 Berkeley Square,
London,
W1J 5FJ

Make every £1 worth 25p more at no extra cost to you. It’s just a little box to tick but Gift Aid makes a huge difference when it comes to how much money we can raise to support families in the need right here in the UK.

To be eligible to add Gift Aid to your donation, you must be a UK taxpayer and understand that if you pay less income tax and/or capital gains tax then the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all donations made in that tax year it’s your responsibility to pay any difference. The government will give a further 25% of your donation to the charity, and it doesn’t cost you or your sponsors a thing.

This option will be there on your fundraising page, but if you could mention it to your sponsors, you could help raise much more money to support families torn apart by national security measures. Find out more about Gift Aid here.

The money you raise can provide warm homes and heal hearts this Winter. Every step you take can ease the burdens of single mothers, children growing up without their fathers, and elderly parents struggling without their sons, many of whom are forced to choose between heating and eating.

Every 7 minutes one person will die this Winter.  Many HHUGS families affected by detention and counter-terror measures, are amongst the 7 million in the UK experiencing ‘fuel poverty’.

With living costs and unemployment rising, families face the hard choice to make the decision whether to ‘heat or eat’. Burdened by debts and threatened with eviction, single mothers, with their husbands behind bars, struggle to provide adequate clothing and blankets for their children to protect them from its chill.

Winter hits the most vulnerable hardest. The UK has the second worst rate of excess winter deaths in Europe, with over 175,000 recorded in the past five years, with many succumbing to preventable illnesses.  But Winter doesn’t just impair the mobility of the elderly and exacerbate physical illness. With the looming threat of another lockdown, ‘invisible’ conditions like depression, anxiety and loneliness make the long dark nights and grey freezing days even harder to contend with.

That’s why we’re here, to give families a helping hand. Your steps can clothe children growing up without fathers, and warm the hearts and hearths of elderly parents isolated from their communities this winter. You can be that light of mercy, radiating hope for a family to survive a merciless season.

You might have struggled with the restrictions in the past two years, but it’s easy to forget that many families in our midst live like this all year round. You can make a difference to families for whom social distancing and isolation is a norm.

Your fundraising can transform lives

Your steps this season will mean families won’t face a winter without you. By raising:

• £40 you can provide warm bedding to protect them from the night’s chill
• £100 you can clothe children to keep them warm this Winter
• £250 you can feed a family for a month so they aren’t forced to choose between heating and eating.
• £400 you can heat a home this winter
• £500 you can shelter a family by paying their rent and saving them from eviction
• £1000 you can alleviate a family from the burden of debt.

You can change lives for some of the most ostracised families in our midst.

At HHUGS we’ve seen many challengers, supporters and volunteers achieve great feats despite their initial self-doubt. That’s why we’re confident that with a bit of effort, with the help of Allah (swt) and thereafter our support, you will surpass your own expectations.

However, if you try your best but can’t reach your target (and we doubt this will be the case) then all is far from lost. You still walk away with the rewards of your intentions, your efforts and whatever amount you do manage to raise.

“Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, Allah will record it as a complete good deed.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

So aim high with pure intentions, say ‘Bismillah’ and tie your camel by giving it your best effort, then leave the rest to Allah (swt). You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in sha’ Allah!

“Winter is booty for the devout worshipers.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

Click here https://www.hhugs.org.uk/my-account/lost-password/ if you’ve forgotten your password on our sign up page. Follow the instructions on the email you receive to reset your password.

Still having trouble? Please contact us at [email protected] for help logging into your account.

Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0207 733 2104 if you can no longer take part. We regret that we will not be able to refund anyone who has already donated to support you.

Together, we can ensure the families won’t face a winter without us. Together, we can give Warm HHUGS to those who need it most.