The Big Tackle – Frequently Asked Questions

The Big Tackle is open to anyone aged 8 or over. Anyone aged 8 – 15 must be accompanied at all times by an adult who is registered to participate in the event and over the age of 21.  Responsible adults must ensure that they are present at the time of check-in at the beginning and end of the event, as well as throughout the walk. Each adult can be responsible for up to three 8-15-year-olds at the event.

The average walking speed of a human is about three miles an hour, so we’d anticipate it will take just under 3 hours to complete the route without any stops. With so many conveniently placed refreshment stops, however, we’ve allowed for a little more time on top of that to make sure you arrive back at the Rugby Club before the Six Nations kick-off at 5pm!

To make sure everyone is back in time to take their place in front of one of the giant screens for the rugby, we’re asking everyone to arrive at 11am. There will then be a warm-up at 11.20 and we aim to get everyone away by 11.30am.

Entry fees are charged at £28 for adults and £20 for those aged under 18.

No. It is a common misconception that this is the case! However, events are expensive to run and we always want to make sure they are affordable for our participants. With that in mind, your entry fee only covers the cost of running the event. We rely on sponsorship and fundraising to fund our patient care. Rowcroft provides specialist care and support to around 2,500 patients and their loved ones across South Devon each year. It is your fundraising and donations that really make such a difference in helping us to offer this care to our patients and families.

No, everyone is welcome; the more the merrier! (Please see note above relating to children.)

Yes. Parts of the course will not be suitable for disabled participants, so please make a note of any medical conditions on your registration form and ensure you and your friend put the same team name on your registration form to be allocated the same start time.

Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate all dietary requirements.  We advise walkers to bring additional snacks on the day if needed.

Starting and finishing at Torquay Athletic Rugby Football Club (TARFC), you will travel along the coast taking in the sights of Torquay sea front, and proceed along to the harbour. Skirting around the inner marina, you will walk up towards the Imperial Hotel and enter the South West Coast Path. Coming out at Meadfoot Sea Road, the route then winds through Ilsham and Wellswood up to Babbacombe Road, where you will turn left to head back down towards the sea front. The course then runs through Fleet Walk and Union Street, taking in the bustling town centre and continuing up to Torre. Upon reaching Torre train station, the route takes a sharp left down Avenue Road and then up Crownhill Rise to the cycle path, which leads to the back drive of Rowcroft Hospice. You will then walk through the amazing grounds of the hospice and down the front drive, re-entering Avenue Road and continuing along the home stretch back to the rugby club for your well-earned pint (soft drink for our under-age walkers!) and a pasty!

Please email supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk with the details that need to be changed.

No worries!  Please email your name and postcode to supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk, along with your team name, and we can get that added for you.

As long as places for The Big Tackle are still available, you can add as many members to your team as you like! You don’t have to register all your team members at the same time, you just need to make sure that you all use the same team name when you register.

Email us at supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk with your name and postcode along with the correct team name and we can amend this for you.

If by the 6 March 2025, you’ve not received your walker pack, please call 01803 217450 or email supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk and we can send you a replacement.

If you can print them yourself, they can be downloaded directly from our website, where you’ll also find plenty of other information about the event. If you are unable to print them yourself but would like a paper copy, you can order printed sponsorship forms and route maps when you register, and our team will then print and post these to you. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or if you have any other questions, please do get in touch with us and we’ll do our very best to help you.

If we have some available, we’ll always offer this support. Our collection boxes can be picked up from the hospice or your local shop – please call 01803 217450 or email supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk to discuss this. We’ll need details of where you are planning to take your tin/bucket. When it’s been returned to us, we can add the funds you have collected to your final total.

We’re so sorry to hear that. Please call 01803 217450 to let the team know that you won’t be attending – we hope you get better soon.

Places can be transferred until 27 February.  Please email supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk as soon as possible with your details and the details of the friend that is taking your place.

Unfortunately, places are non-refundable but your fee will be used to help provide comfort, support and specialist care to over 2,500 patients and their loved ones across South Devon each year.

We suggest clothes and shoes/boots that are comfy when walking long distances. Given the time of year and the fact that we live in England, we recommend wearing clothes and footwear which are appropriate to the weather on the day!

Creating a fundraising page is now easier than ever! Once you have registered to the event, you will be asked to create your fundraising page. Just add your fundraising target and profile picture. You will then be given a link to your fundraising page to share with your friends.

If you prefer, JustGiving and Facebook are two popular alternative options to create a fundraising page, so here are some handy tips to set them up:

JustGiving

Go to www.justgiving.co.uk

Click ‘Get Started’

Log in / create an account

Click ‘create your page’

Select ‘Rowcroft Hospice’ as your charity

Select ‘organised event’

Personalise your page with photos and text

Facebook Donate

Sign into Facebook and click ‘Fundraisers’ in the left menu of your News Feed.

Click ‘Raise Money’ and select ‘Non-profit/ Charity’ and select ‘Rowcroft’.

Make sure you include your name and the name of the Rowcroft event in the name of your fundraiser. e.g. Jill Hill’s Rowcroft Sleep Walk Fundraiser

Click ‘Create’ and you’re ready to share.

Please let us know that you have set up a Facebook fundraising page by emailing supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk.

Send the cheque in to us, along with your other sponsorship. We can then bank the cheque and allocate the funds to your final sponsorship total.

Visit www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk/sponsorship; you can either pay by debit or credit card.

It is done for you automatically. As long as you have selected Rowcroft as your chosen charity, the funds will be automatically transferred into our accounts. Once your page has closed, we will calculate your final sponsorship amount and send you your official thank you letter.

Email us at supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk to unsubscribe, or click the link at the bottom of your last event email, but please bear in mind if you have registered to the event, we may still need to email you about some key event details.

Please email us at supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk to register any missing items.

Our official event photos will be posted on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out for those. You can also search for photos which have been taken by other participants by searching for the hashtag #BigTackle on social media.

If you purchase a t-shirt, there will be space on the t-shirt for you to write the name of who you wish to remember. We will provide pens on the day, and we will have volunteers on hand to help you.

Please enquire on the day if you’d like to remember a loved one on our memory tree at Rowcroft Hospice.

Yes! We are always looking for support at our events, so please visit https://rowcrofthospice.org.uk/events/the-big-tackle/ to sign up as a volunteer. Please tell your friends and family too, so they can do the same!

Yes, when signing up you can identify a friend that you want to work with. When the team is allocating volunteer roles, they will then know to keep you together.

Volunteer information will be sent to you towards the end of February, when there will also be briefings online. This will be a great chance to get more event information and ask any questions about issues you are concerned about. If you haven’t received your pack before the briefing, please make sure you mention it to a member of the team, or call 01803 217450 and we will arrange for a replacement pack to be sent to you.

There isn’t a strict dress code for volunteers, but it is going to be a long day, so please make sure you’re comfortable and protected from whatever the weather decides to throw at us! If you want to get into the spirit of the event and wear fancy dress that will be great – as long as you can wear the hi-vis jacket over the top (we’ll supply you with this on the day).

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email at supportercare@rowcrofthospice.org.uk, or call us on 01803 217450.