Round Table walkers, Lichfield's chairman among them, walked 28.8 miles overnight from Birmingham to Alrewas, taking five years of CALM funds over £25,000.

Walkers from the Round Table Family have finished their fifth annual Lost Hours Walk, a 28.8-mile overnight trek from Birmingham to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, and say it has taken their collective total for the suicide prevention charity CALM to more than £25,000 over five years.

Members of Round Table, Ladies Circle, Tangent and 41 Club set off on the night of 24 to 25 October, the night the clocks went back. Among them was Daniel White, Chairman of Lichfield Round Table and of Area 35 Round Table Britain & Ireland, who helped set the walk up.

If you are struggling, CALM’s helpline is free on 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight every day, with webchat at thecalmzone.net. Samaritans answer 116 123 free, 24 hours a day.

Walking from darkness into daylight

The timing is the point. The walk starts at midnight and runs through the hour the clocks go back, so walkers move from darkness into daylight. Lichfield Round Table says that is meant to stand for “the importance of hope, friendship and supporting those struggling with their mental health”.

A group of walkers in hats and high-visibility vests posing for a selfie at night outside a brick building before the Lost Hours Walk
Walkers gathered in the dark before setting off from Birmingham. Photo: supplied by Lichfield Round Table

The walk’s fundraising page, set up by Daniel White in April, explains the name:

“The darkness is deliberate. The Lost Hours represent the people we have lost to suicide, the hours their families and friends wish they could have back, and the conversations we need to keep having so fewer people are lost in the future.”

The route starts at Marchesi House in Birmingham, and the page says walkers aim to arrive at the Arboretum around midday. “Not for speed. Not for a finishing time,” it adds. “But to remember those we have lost, support those who may be struggling now, and remind people that they do not have to face their darkest hours alone.”

The release describes “sore feet, blisters and exhaustion”, with volunteers, friends and family supporting the walkers through the night.

Two walkers seen from behind on a grass verge beside a country road, their yellow vests printed United We Walk Against Suicide, Lost Hours Walk
Walkers on a roadside verge in daylight, vests printed "United we walk against suicide". Photo: supplied by Lichfield Round Table

“The hardest challenge yet”

It was Daniel White’s third major fundraising challenge as Area Chairman, and the release says his own fundraising this year is now over £15,000 for CALM. He said:

“This was the hardest challenge yet. My feet still hadn’t fully healed from the 200-mile walk I completed in August, and there were moments when I really struggled. But the organisation rallied around me and got me across that finish line.

“That’s exactly what the Round Table Family is about. We support one another, and when someone is struggling, we don’t leave them behind.

“Reaching £25,000 collectively is an incredible achievement, but the real impact goes beyond fundraising. It’s about getting people talking, challenging the stigma around mental health and reminding people they’re never alone.

“Every walker, volunteer, organiser and supporter deserves credit. This is what happens when an organisation comes together for something bigger than itself.”

Nine walkers, some in Lost Hours Walk T-shirts and high-visibility vests, in front of the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens sign
The walkers at the finish, beneath the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens sign. Photo: supplied by Lichfield Round Table
A walker seen from behind wearing a black CALM T-shirt printed United Against Suicide, beside a stone obelisk carrying the Round Table emblem
A walker's "United Against Suicide" T-shirt beside the Round Table memorial. Photo: supplied by Lichfield Round Table

Who walked

Round Table, Ladies Circle, Tangent and 41 Club together make up what members call the Round Table Family. Lichfield Round Table belongs to Area 35, which covers the West Midlands and surrounding areas and brings together clubs in Stratford-upon-Avon, Alcester, Redditch, Birmingham, Knowle & Dorridge, Moseley, Solihull, Shirley, Tamworth, Lichfield, Tettenhall and Penkridge.

The organisation says the walk shows how those clubs combine friendship and community work with fundraising, and that it hopes the milestone will encourage more people “to speak openly about mental health, check in on friends and seek support when needed”.

The Round Table Family badge, showing the emblems of Round Table, Ladies Circle, Tangent and 41 Club
The Round Table Family badge, with the emblems of its four organisations. Image: supplied by Lichfield Round Table

How the money is collected

Everyone taking part raises money through one shared GoFundMe page, A Year of Fundraising for CALM. When we checked it on 26 October it showed £14,954 from 178 donations. The £25,000 figure is the Round Table Family’s own total across all five walks, which we have not been able to check separately.

The Area 35 Round Table Britain and Ireland badge: a double-headed eagle over a red rose and the Round Table emblem, with the motto Superbia Respicimus, Expectamus Spem
The Area 35 Round Table Britain & Ireland badge. Image: supplied by Lichfield Round Table

Need to talk? CALM: 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight daily, or thecalmzone.net. Samaritans: 116 123, free, any time.