London walk for bereaved parents, siblings (18 years+) and grandparents - Richmond

23 April 2022, 11.00 – 16.00

Richmond, Surrey

REGISTRATIONS FOR THIS WALK ARE NOW CLOSED AS IT IS NOW FULL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST PLEASE CONTACT US AT info@tcf.org.uk AND WE WILL CONTACT YOU IF A PLACE BECOMES AVAILABLE. Thank you.

The first London Walk for 2022 will be in Richmond, only a 16 minute train journey from Waterloo where we will meet.

We will make our way from Richmond Station through charming streets of elegant houses to Richmond Park where we may see deer as we continue to the Victorian woodland enclosure of the Isabella Plantation. At this time of the year it should be awash with colour from the various blooms especially the azaleas and rhododendrons. With it’s streams & ponds, Isabella Plantation can feel like a Magical Kingdom.

Lunch will be at Pembroke Lodge which has a cafe, a kiosk and outdoor seating for those wishing to bring a packed lunch.

In the afternoon we leave the Park to admire the famous view from Richmond Hill, described by Sir Walter Scott as “An unrivalled landscape”.

We then descend from the Hill to the Thames to walk back to the Station or to a traditional pub nearby for those who wish to stay on for a well earned drink. The walk will finish at approximately 4pm.

Our walk will be for approximately 5 miles in total at a steady pace. Please note that this walk is not suitable for those who require walking aids or who might find the pace too demanding.

We will meet at 11am underneath the large suspended clock on the main concourse of Waterloo Railway Station. (SUBJECT TO TIMETABLE CHANGE to be confirmed nearer the date ) The train leaves at 11.20 and arrives in Richmond at 11.36. If anyone wishes to meet at Richmond, please be outside the station ready to leave promptly when the main group arrives.

The walks are free and are designed to offer you an opportunity to socialise and chat to other bereaved parents and siblings as well as to offer some exercise to support our mental and physical wellbeing. However, you can if you wish give a voluntary donation at the time you book or at www.tcf.org.uk/donate.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the details of this walk may be subject to change

What a parent told us after a previous London walk:

'Thank you again for organising and leading the TCF London walks. It makes such a difference to meet other families who have lost a much loved child. It’s not just the walk itself... but about having a date in the diary and something to look forward to and to reflect back on. Plus the walks spark important conversations before and afterwards within our family about our son - and how much he meant to us all - which we might otherwise not be able to have. My husband and I talked more on the train to London than we have had the chance to do for a while. And again around the dinner table with the rest of the family when we got home. It’s a way of acknowledging and giving space to such tragedy and the deepest loss we know is felt by everyone in the group. Thank you again.'