The "Rood Mums", a team of ten walkers from Holy Rood Catholic Primary School in Watford, have signed up to take part in the Peace Hospice’s flagship fundraising event, The Starlight Walk.

Team leader Mary D’Souza said: "I’ve already had a great response from mums at the school. "Then, seeing us have so much fun training has encouraged even more mums to sign up for the Walk on June 23."

Mary works at the Peace Hospice and was keen to add: "The Rood Mums team name is just a bit of fun, we are all very polite and well behaved really. "With so many of us taking part in the walk though I do think it will have a ‘Saturday night out’ feeling to it."

With such a large group there were always going to be a range of reasons for taking part in the walk. For Sonia Andrade, it was being part of a team effort, for Jayne Baker it was to continue in her mum’s footsteps, raising money for the hospice.

Rood mum Sam Blood has her own reasons for taking part, having lost her dad in January. Sam said: "It all happened pretty quickly but we had help from the Hospice@Home service initially and then later on dad was moved to the hospice itself. "The care he received was wonderful but it doesn’t stop there. It extends past the patient to the family and friends."

Sam added: "I’m walking in memory of my dad and will probably shed a few tears on the night but being part of Mary’s gang means I know the girls will keep me laughing along the way."

To sign up for this year’s Starlight Walk visit www.starlightwalk.org.uk.