SANDS Lothians FireWalk 2019: date, times, tickets and what a ‘firewalk’ involves

People raise money for charities in all kinds of ways, like abseiling, bungee jumping and even leaping out of a plane - but what about walking across burning coals?

Are you brave enough to take on the fire walk? (Photo: Shutterstock)

If you think you’ve got what it takes to take part in a firewalk, you could raise money for charity SANDS Lothians at the same time. Here’s everything you need to know about signing up.

What’s a FireWalk?

The FireWalk is an event that invites people to raise money for SANDS Lothians (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society).

If you’re brave enough, you’ll walk across burning hot coals in order to raise money for the charity.

“Dare to be different and taken on our first ever FireWalk this Autumn to raise vital funds to provide compassionate support to bereaved parents at the worst of times,” the event page says.

If you become part of the SANDS Lothians FireWalk, you’ll get:

- Dedicated support from the fundraising team

- A free SANDS Lothians t-shirt

- Access to the Facebook community group

- Discounts with sports retailers and sports companies

The event itself is run by UK FireWalk, the UK’s biggest organiser of firewalk events.

Will it hurt?

According to the FAQ section of the UK FireWalk website, some walkers have described the sensation of taking part in the walk as “walking on eggshells, and others as walking on hot sand”.

Prior to the walk, participants are given an hour long training session to prepare them.

This is some information regarding firewalking that you may want to know prior to signing up to the event:

- The fire is very real, it is not a trick. The embers will be glowing red hot and the temperature is often measured at around 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit

- You’ll have to walk on bare feet and they will not have been treated in any way

- You should avoid consuming any drugs or alcohol before the event

- If you can walk normally, you should manage the fire walk perfectly well

- No special clothing is required, but casual and comfortable clothes are probably the best

The UK FireWalk website says that ideally walkers should be over the age of 11 years old.

Where and when is it on?

The event will take place on Saturday 19 October 2019 at 6pm. The event will wrap up around 9pm.

The FireWalk will be at the Craiglockhart Tennis Centre in Edinburgh.

How to get involved?

If you want to do your part to raise funds for the charity, you’ll need to buy a ticket from the Eventbrite website.

The ticket will be your registration fee for the event and will cost £21.43.

You can buy your ticket online here.

The minimum sponsorship amount you need to raise after signing up for the event is £180.

How to get there

The Craiglockhart Tennis Centre is easily accessible no matter how you choose to travel.

Bus

Travelling via bus from Edinburgh city centre will take roughly half an hour.

The best buses for you to look out for are: 4, 10, 27 and 45.

Cycling

Cycling from Edinburgh city centre will take around 20 minutes via the A7 and Colinton Road.

Driving

According to the Edinburgh Leisure website, there are a small number of free parking spaces situated next to the tennis centre.

Driving from the city centre will take around 20 minutes.