As December draws to a close and I reflect on the year behind us, I find myself lacing up my walking boots for something deeply personal. This month, I’m taking on Sands’ Winter Walk challenge, committing to walk 150 kilometres throughout December for families facing baby loss.
A Year of Giving Back
2025 has been a remarkable year for the IPL Brightgreen team. Together, we’ve poured our energy into numerous projects and charitable initiatives, supporting causes that matter to our community. We’ve worked as a collective, rallied as a team, and seen firsthand the difference that coordinated effort can make. It’s been fulfilling, energizing, and at times, humbling.
But as the year winds down, I felt called to do something more. Something that was just mine to carry.
The Power of Individual Action
There’s something unique about stepping forward as an individual within a team environment. While our group efforts have been powerful, this Winter Walk represents a different kind of commitment. It’s personal. It’s about what I can do, with my own two feet, in the darker, colder days of December when it would be easier to stay inside.
Walking 150 kilometres in December isn’t glamorous. It means bundling up against the cold, finding motivation on gray days, and putting one foot in front of the other when the nights draw in early. But that’s precisely the point. Sands supports families through their darkest hours, when grief feels heaviest and the path forward seems impossible. If I can walk through a bit of discomfort to support them, it feels like the very least I can do.
Why Sands, Why Now
Sands does vital work that often goes unseen. They ensure that every family affected by the loss of a baby receives the support they desperately need during the toughest of times. They campaign for change, provide essential training for healthcare professionals, and fund research so that fewer families will have to endure the tragedy of losing their baby.
Every much-loved baby who is sadly not here today deserves to be remembered. Every bereaved family deserves support, compassion, and the knowledge that they’re not alone. This work matters profoundly.
Rounding Out the Year
After a year of collaborative projects and team efforts, this challenge feels like the right way to finish 2025. It’s a reminder that while we achieve great things together, individual action still holds power. It’s about aligning my personal values with my actions, and ending the year knowing I’ve contributed in a way that feels authentic to who I am.
I’ve already walked 54 kilometres, and I’m so close to my fundraising goal. The support from colleagues, friends, and even people I’ve never met has been overwhelming. Each donation, no matter the size, represents hope for bereaved families and progress toward a future where fewer babies die.
An Invitation
As this year comes to a close, I encourage you to find your own “Winter Walk.” It doesn’t have to be literal. What individual action can you take that aligns with your values? What cause tugs at your heart that you’ve been meaning to support? How can you round out your year in a way that feels meaningful and true to you?
For me, it’s these walks through winter weather, knowing that each step contributes to something larger than myself. After a year of collective achievement with IPL Brightgreen, this personal commitment feels like exactly the right note to end on.
If you’d like to support my walk and Sands’ vital work, I have reached my £200 goal. The greater amount raised will support many currently lost in thoughts and grief.
Here’s to ending 2025 with purpose, compassion, and hope for the year ahead.