Cancer Research UK's Shine Night Walk

Cancer Research UK's Shine Night Walk returns to Guildhall Square on Friday 9 October, part of a national Shine event running across 18 locations in the UK in partnership with Omaze. It's a 10k night walk that takes you past some of the city's landmarks, with around 900 people taking part and raising roughly £70,000 for cancer research.

There's a bit more to it than just the walking. Before you set off, you'll write messages for or about the people you're walking for on paper bags, which then get a battery-powered tealight inside to help light up the finish line. Glow sticks and light-up accessories are available on site, and everyone gets a medal at the end. Event manager Joe Hutchinson describes it as "a really special way to remember those lost to cancer, support those living with it and celebrate those who have beaten it," while a Cancer Research UK spokesperson calls it "an uplifting and unforgettable evening" where it's not just the glowsticks and glitter that light up the night, but "the hope everyone brings."

It's a cause that hits close to home, too — around 1,200 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Southampton alone. That's why the night is as much about the people you're walking for as it is about the distance you cover.

Guildhall Square opens at 7.30pm, and the walk itself sets off at 8.30pm.