Sheffield Hospitals Charity and Meadowhall have announced the return of the Red Shoe Walk for 2026.
After a hugely successful debut event last year that brought hundreds of people together and raised over £12,000 - The Red Shoe Walk is back.
The community event returns on Sunday 2nd August and will once again see families and friends walk the accessible route around Meadowhall to raise vital funds for people living with dementia across Sheffield.
The Red Shoe Walk was inspired by one woman's lifelong love of red shoes - a simple memory trigger that helps her connect with her past.
As you lace up, you're invited to take a moment to reflect on your own memories. Photos, music, familiar objects and special places can help bring back older memories and create a sense of connection.
Image: Supplied
Everyone taking part will walk a 2km route round Meadowhall. The walk starts at 10am with registrations open from 9am at the Summer Beach Club. The route is flat, accessible and suitable for all ages - so nobody has to miss out.
After the walk has finished you will get free access and unlimited rides until midday at Meadowhall's Summer Beach Club.
.Not only that, but singer songwriter Joe Carnall Jnr will perform live at the start of this year’s Red Shoe Walk.
Best known as a member of Sheffield-band Milburn and previously Reverend & The Makers, Joe will be joined by cast members from his brand-new musical ‘How Could I Forget?’ as part of the warm-up for the walk.
Image: Supplied
The musical is a heartfelt love letter to grandparents, inspired by Joe’s own family experience with dementia and loss. The show has sold out an impressive three nights at Sheffield Theatres and tickets have recently been released for the Carriageworks in Leeds.
Joe said: “My grandad passed away with dementia over 10 years ago and I got the inspiration for the musical from him. I want to do the walk with my three young children, reminisce and tell stories about him and connect with other people who have their own experiences of dementia.”
Beth Crackles, CEO of Sheffield Hospitals Charity said: “We’re thrilled with how the first ever Red Shoe Walk brought our community together in solidarity and are beyond excited to bring it back for 2026. It will be such a poignant moment to have Joe and the cast from ‘How Could I Forget’ perform live ahead of the walk, and we’re so grateful for their support.
"We hope to see lots of people there, walking together as a community to make a real difference for people living with dementia and their loved ones.”
Image: Supplied
Darren Pearce, Centre Director at Meadowhall said: “Dementia touches the lives of so many families across our local community, and we’re incredibly proud to be working with Sheffield Hospitals Charity to host the Red Shoe Walk for a second time.
“Building on the success of last year’s event – which raised over £10,000 for the charity – it’s brilliant to be welcoming Joe Carnall Jnr to perform this year. The performance will start the event perfectly, as people once again come together to raise vital funds for those affected by dementia throughout the city.”
Not only that, but football legends Tony Currie, John Pearson and John Breckin from Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United have also joined forces to back the walk, raising awareness and funds for dementia care across Sheffield.
Prices are £7 per adult, £4 per child, £18 for a family of four and under 3’s go free. Each ticket includes an exclusive Red Shoe Walk t-shirt to wear on the day, access to a range of exclusive discounts at participating Meadowhall retailers plus free entry and free rides at the Summer Beach Club until midday.
Sign up by midnight on Thursday 30 July.
Featured image - Supplied
News
A huge pumpkin festival with over 300,000 pumpkins is returning to Leeds this autumn
With up to 300,000 to choose from, the Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival is the ultimate pumpkin picking spot in Leeds.
Look, we know it's still August...but we can't help but get a little bit excited.
And it's safe to say that Farmer Copleys really do know a thing or two about growing pumpkins.
Every year, this family-run farm transform into one of the UK's biggest pumpkin festivals to offer the cosiest day out for all the family to enjoy.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This year, there will be more than 300,000 pumpkins across over 40 different varieties, ranging from traditional orange pumpkins to beautiful white, green and striped varieties.
As well as choosing the perfect pumpkin to take home, the fields provide an excellent backdrop for autumn photographs, with photo opportunities and installations located throughout the festival.
One of this year’s biggest additions will be a brand-new Land Rover photo installation, bringing together one of Farmer Copleys’ own vintage Land Rovers with a new Land Rover kindly loaned to the farm for the festival.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also new for this year, in the first weekend of the festival, the farm will be hosting a Pumpkin Pilates event where ticket holders can enjoy early morning Pilates session within the pumpkin fields.
And like always, visitors can enjoy tractor rides through the pumpkin fields, live shows and entertainment, archery, vintage fairground rides, Witches’ Storytime and magical performances, Velcro the Scarecrow and other family characters, as well as the festival’s popular daily fancy dress competitions.
Farmer Copleys Owner Rob Copley said: “Pumpkin Festival is such a special time of year for us and something the whole team works towards for months. We grow hundreds of thousands of pumpkins here on the farm, but we’ve always wanted the festival to be about much more than simply choosing a pumpkin.
“For 2026 we’ve invested in new installations, upgraded areas of the festival and added more live music. We’re particularly excited about the new Land Rover feature, bringing together one of our vintage vehicles with a brand-new Land Rover. We think it’s going to make a brilliant addition to the festival and another great place for families to capture their visit.”
The Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival will run from Saturday 26 September until Sunday 1 November, and you can buy your tickets here.
Historic Leeds watermill to reopen as a canal-side pub, cafe and museum
Clementine Hall
One of the best-preserved mills in Britain has been taken over by four new owners.
And they've got big plans for the place.
Will Habergham, Terry George, Michael Rothwell and Kirk Allen have taken ownership of Thwaite Mills - a Grade II listed site at Stourton, Leeds, that will start to undergo a full restoration this week, more than two years after the mill closed to the public in April 2024.
The work is expected to take around 12 months and will be carried out alongside volunteers from Friends of Thwaite Mills, the supporters' group the new owners are relaunching as part of the project.
Image: Supplied
No reopening date has been set yet, but early plans include reopening the mill as a working museum, a pub and cafe with canal-side seating, and fully landscaped grounds free for walkers, runners and dog walkers to use.
Not only that, but a programme of free family events is planned and the owners are exploring the return of the craft fairs and car boot sales that the site was once known for.
"Thwaite Mills was saved by its community once before, and it'll be brought back by its community now," said Will Habergham, director of Thwaite Mills.
"We're not going to disappear for a year and come back with a ribbon to cut. We want people watching it happen, turning up, and telling us what they want this place to be."
Built between 1823 and 1825, Thwaite Mills worked first as a flax mill and later produced whiting and paint, operating commercially until 1975, when a broken weir threatened its future. Local volunteers stepped in to save it the following year, and it opened as a museum in 1990, welcoming visitors until it closed in April 2024.
And now, Thwaite Mills is set to enter a brand-new era and you can follow the restoration journey here.
Clementine Hall -
22nd July 2026 
