Glossary
Glow walk glossary
The words that come up in planning meetings, explained in a sentence or two each.
- Back marker
- The volunteer who walks behind the last participant. When the back marker reaches a marshal point, that marshal knows everyone has passed and can stand down. Also called a sweeper.
- Briefing
- The short talk before the start covering the route, the marshals, what to do in an emergency and a word about the cause. Two to three minutes is enough.
- Civil twilight
- The period after sunset when there is still enough natural light to see without lamps. Its length changes with season and latitude. Most glow walks set off just before it begins.
- Dedication tag
- A card pinned to a walker's back or carried on a lantern naming the person they are walking for. Common at hospice and remembrance walks.
- Dusk
- The darker end of twilight, just before night. In everyday use, the half hour or so when lights start to show.
- Event control
- One named person, in one place, who every marshal reports to and who makes decisions on the night, including whether to stop the walk.
- Flat pledge
- A single fixed donation from a sponsor, whatever distance is walked. Easier to collect than a pledge per kilometre.
- Glow station
- A table on the route where walkers get a new light, a stamp on a lap card or face paint. Often sponsored by a local business.
- Glow walk
- An organised walk held around sunset in which walkers wear or carry lights, usually sponsored and in aid of a cause.
- Lap card
- A card stamped or punched each time a walker completes a loop. Used for sponsorship per lap, especially at school events.
- Lead walker
- The volunteer at the very front who knows the route and sets the pace. Nobody passes the lead walker.
- Lights-on point
- The marked place on the route where everyone switches on their lights together. Plan it where a photographer can see the whole line.
- Marshal
- A volunteer in a high-visibility vest stationed at a junction, crossing or hazard to direct walkers and report problems.
- Matched giving
- An arrangement in which an employer or donor adds to what a walker raises, often pound for pound up to a limit.
- Memory point
- A quiet place on the route, often at halfway, where walkers leave a name, a light or a message for someone.
- Pledge per kilometre
- Sponsorship promised as an amount for each kilometre or lap completed, multiplied up after the walk.
- Risk assessment
- A written list of what could go wrong at the event, how likely and how serious each is, and what you will do to reduce it. Landowners and insurers usually ask to see it.
- Sponsored walk
- A walk in which participants ask friends, family and colleagues to donate in support of their taking part.
- Sponsorship form
- The paper or online form on which sponsors record their name, pledge and whether it has been paid.
- Wave start
- Setting walkers off in groups a few minutes apart so that narrow paths and gates do not jam.
Pick a date. Light the route.
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