Frequently asked questions

Dawn Walk is a sponsored virtual walking event for Samaritans. Participants are challenged to walk 5k with a family member, friend or as a group, anywhere they like, at sunrise between Thursday 10 October and Sunday 13 October.

Dawn Walk is from Thursday 10 October to Sunday 13 October 2024, but if you can’t take part on any of those dates, you can walk any other day in October. Sign up now, start your fundraising and encourage others to join the challenge too.

Dawn Walk is a 5K walk at sunrise. However, this is your challenge, and you can adapt it to suit you. Simply choose a distance to suit you or those you’re walking with – you can make it as relaxing or challenging as you like!

Please check the sunrise time in your area, as it varies across the UK. You can start and finish your walk wherever and whenever you like, depending on your speed and distance.

You can walk anywhere you like – how about starting at a much-loved scenic spot? Lots of people are aiming to be somewhere where they get a good view to the east at the time of sunrise, so they can see in the new day. Don’t forget to check the sunrise time in your location too.

You can sign up for Dawn Walk here – we are so grateful for your incredible support! 

We’re encouraging #TeamSamaritans to register before 2 October to ensure you get your t-shirt in time for your walk! However, registrations will remain open until 9 October.

T-shirts will be available to purchase after registration at £10 per t-shirt (plus postage and packaging), which includes a sign and safety pins to wear when taking on your Dawn Walk. 

You can purchase a t-shirt (and get a free back sign) here.

Absolutely, you can purchase more than one t-shirt and order extra t-shirts here.

We can’t always trust the British weather, can we?! If it rains, as long as you feel it’s safe, you can carry on with your walk. Just make sure you’re prepared for the weather on the day – wear appropriate footwear and grab a waterproof jacket and/or trousers to take with you if needed. You can often pick these up in charity shops, if you don’t want to spend a lot on new gear.

Of course! You can set up or join a team, when registering. Invite family, friends, colleagues and contacts to join you. Wherever they are based across the country, it doesn’t matter, they can all get involved!

No – it’s FREE to take part! All the money you raise will help us reach more people who need our support.

As a charity, our ambition is that fewer people die by suicide. Every 10 seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help and your fundraising will help us answer more of these calls. For every £1 donated to Samaritans, 80p goes on our services and just 20p is invested in raising the next £1. Find out more about how your support will help here.

When you sign up for Dawn Walk, a JustGiving fundraising page will automatically be set up for you.

You can personalise your page and share it with friends and family, to let them know what an incredible challenge you are taking on for Samaritans. At the end of the challenge, any sponsorship money received via your online page will come straight to Samaritans, saving time and effort for you!

You can also fundraise offline, using the Dawn Walk sponsor form which you can download here.

Here's some useful fundraising tips.

You can join our dedicated Dawn Walk Facebook Group! Here, you can connect with other #TeamSamaritans walkers share ideas, tips and your reasons for taking part. You can join the group here.

This is your challenge, and you can do it any which way you like. We’re encouraging #TeamSamaritans to adapt this challenge to suit their specific needs and abilities. We’ll be right behind everyone cheering them on.

By participating in this challenge, you are agreeing to enter and undertake this challenge entirely at your own risk. Samaritans shall not be liable for any injury. This challenge should be completed however is best for your physical ability.

We’re encouraging everyone to take part and make this challenge their own to suit their specific needs and abilities. Here are some alternative challenges you could do:

1. Wheel 5K at sunrise – This could be done by bicycle, wheelchair or even with a pram!
2. Sunrise crafting challenge – Take on a crafting challenge like knitting or host a sunrise breakfast or check in with family and friends and practice listening tips and raise awareness of Samaritans.
3. Sunrise Swim – Take to the water at sunrise.
4. Create your own challenge – We’re so grateful for your incredible efforts to ensure that Samaritans are there 24/7. We’ll be there to support you with any challenge that works best for you.

No – anyone can take part! But, if you’re under 16 you will need a parent or guardian to sign you up or email dawnwalk@samaritans.org with permission from your parent or guardian.

There are lots of apps that can help you plan a route or track your distance, such as Strava, OS Maps, Komoot and Google Maps. If you’d like to learn how to plan a route using a traditional map and compass, OS Maps have created some handy video tutorials about navigation to help you. You can also roughly calculate your distance using a pedometer – 1,320 steps is around 1K, so 6,600 steps works out at approximately 5K.

We’ve created posters, social media badges and more to help you promote your challenge – check out our resources page and use as many as you like. If there’s anything you’d like that isn’t downloadable, please email dawnwalk@samaritans.org.

You can set up a team when registering for the event and then share the team invite with your colleagues. Or you can join a team by selecting ‘Join a team’ when registering and simply searching the team name.

It’s a good idea to make sure you have appropriate clothing to suit the weather conditions, including waterproofs if it’s looking rainy. If it’s hot, don’t forget sun-cream and a hat, and if it’s chilly, a woolly hat might even be needed! Remember to take water with you to stay fully hydrated during and after the walk. 

You’ll also want to take a copy of your route, and potentially a map and compass if you’re going somewhere more adventurous. 

You can also find useful tutorials on how to plan routes and read maps online. A lot of people also use GPS phone apps to track their route and distance, but if you use one of these, you might also want to take a battery pack with you, as they can use a lot of power. 

We’ve created a whole range of resources to help you publicise your activity, join the dedicated Facebook group and connect with other people who are taking part all across the UK. If you have any questions that aren’t covered in these FAQs, please contact the team at dawnwalk@samaritans.org.

The only thing that matters is that you challenge yourself. Do as much as you can. This is your challenge, and you can do it any which way you like. We’re encouraging #TeamSamaritans to adapt this challenge to suit their specific needs and abilities. We’ll be right behind everyone cheering them on.

When you have finished your challenge, let everyone who has sponsored you know that you’ve completed it, and send them a big ‘thank you’ for their support. You can also use any of our downloadable graphics to celebrate your success!

If you feel uncomfortable walking outside at dawn, we would recommend the following:

• Invite friends and family!

Walking in a group can sometimes feel safer and ensures that you are not walking alone. Remember to choose a route which is well lit. However you choose to take on your Dawn Walk, remember to let others know where you will be walking and what time you expect to finish your route.

• Change the time of your Dawn Walk.

However you choose to take on your Dawn Walk, we are incredibly grateful for your wonderful support. If you would like to adapt the timing of your Dawn Walk, in keeping with the theme, you might like to arrange your walk for the Golden Hours (the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset), which will enable you to complete your entire walk in daylight. 

• Do your Dawn Walk indoors!

A great way to get involved in Dawn Walk is to adapt the walk slightly so you're taking on the challenge indoors. This could be in a gym, your home or your workplace. You could even put together a playlist of songs that remind you of the sunshine!

If Dawn Walk is not suitable for you and your individual circumstances, we have lots of different fundraising events which you can browse here.

When you register for Dawn Walk a JustGiving page will automatically be created for you and a link will be emailed to you. You can then edit and manage your fundraiser, you can also share it with your contacts via social media, WhatsApp, SMS and email from the link in your confirmation email.

When registering for Dawn Walk, you will be prompted to set up or join a team, then follow the on-screen steps.

When your friends, family or colleagues register, they can join your team during the registration process by searching for your team name.

Once you've registered for Dawn Walk, you'll have a JustGiving account that you can log into that allows you to make changes, post updates, and connect to Strava. You can log in here.

You will need to register for Dawn Walk via the JustGiving registration platform, which will automatically create a fundraising page for you. However, if you prefer, you can fundraise offline using a sponsorship form which you can download here.

0%. All donations go directly to Samaritans.

All sponsorship will come directly to Samaritans. You don't have to worry about this. It happens automatically.

Simply download and print out the Dawn Walk sponsorship form.

You can pay in money raised offline in the following ways: 

• Pay in online: samaritans.org/donate/pay-in 
• Pay in by cheque: send a cheque made payable to Samaritans to: Samaritans, The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, KT17 2AF. Remember to include your name and address details so we can thank you. 
• Pay in by BACS: contact us directly and we will provide you with our bank details. You'll be given a unique reference, so we can track your donation. 
• Pay by phone: to make a donation over the phone, call our supporter care team on 03709 00 00 32.

Absolutely – Dawn Walk is a really special way to do something in memory of a loved one. 

You can use the time outside to reflect on their life or to think about what they meant to you. If you’re fundraising, you can personalise your fundraising page to help tell your story or share your experience, if you’re comfortable doing so.

You can also personalise your Dawn Walk sign, which are sent out with every t-shirt purchased. It’s entirely up to you how you take part in memory of someone, but if you’d like any guidance, please contact us at dawnwalk@samaritans.org.

No - there is no fixed target. 

We really appreciate your incredible support during such a difficult time. Thank you for supporting Samaritans and if you need any support with your fundraising, please email dawnwalk@samaritans.org.

Gift Aid is a government run scheme that allows charities to reclaim some of the tax that you have already paid to HMRC. Currently, this is equal to 25p for every £1 that you give. Gift Aid does not cost you any extra and can make your donation worth an extra 25% to us, so it is a fantastic way of ensuring your donations go as far as they possibly can.

There is not an official deadline, however, we’re encouraging #TeamSamaritans to send in all sponsorship by 25 November 2024, six weeks after the event.

Yes, you can! Please note that because this challenge was set up in the UK, your fundraising page will display your fundraising total in British pounds, but donations from outside of the UK will still be processed as normal.

When you register to take part in Dawn Walk, a JustGiving fundraising page is automatically created for you. There are a few key things you can do to make the most of your fundraising page, including: 

• Uploading a photo: you can personalise your page by adding photos and making it feel unique to you. 
• Get others involved: Set up a Team and share this memorable experience with family, friends and colleagues. Together, we can make a difference! 
• Setting a target: this is a great way to motivate yourself and to encourage others to help you reach your goal. 
• Sharing your story: make sure you tell people why you’re taking part in Dawn Walk and explain how their support makes a big difference to Samaritans and the people we support. 
• Promoting your page: you can email a page link to your friends and family and share it on social media. This will help you raise awareness of your Dawn Walk and kick-start your fundraising. 
• Keeping everyone updated: don’t forget to update everyone once you’ve completed your challenge and please do thank them, on behalf of Samaritans, for their kind donations. 

For more top tips, take a look at our fundraising resources.

All the money raised from Dawn Walk will support Samaritans Central Charity. Find out more about how your support will help.

The best way is to create a Team Page, and invite others to join you with your Dawn Walk.

If you have any other questions or queries, please email dawnwalk@samaritans.org.