Edinburgh Firewalk 2026

We know you’re capable of things you can’t even imagine. If you can walk barefoot across burning coals, what else can you achieve?

Autumn is truly here now, and we’ve got an exciting new fundraising challenge ready to heat you up! On the evening of Thursday, 29th October, we’re hosting our first ever a Firewalk. So, if you’re looking to face your fears during this season of spooks and horror, look no further. Here’s everything you need to know to get involved in our flaming hot new event this year.

Sooo.. what’s a Firewalk?

A Firewalk is exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a charity challenge where participants walk barefoot across a 2-metre bed of red-hot embers (‘fire’). Easy enough, right?

It’s not just about about walking across fire, though.

Taking part in Firewalk is an opportunity to test your courage and confidence. It’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyway. And if you sign up, you’ll be invited to take part in a powerful 90-minute workshop before any Firewalking, designed to get you fired up and to help you understand fear and how to overcome it.

We at LGBT Health and Wellbeing understand that LGBTQ+ people across Scotland can experience fear just for being their authentic selves. Why not use fear now, as a tool for supporting those in need? Together, we can take control of our fear and help build a Scotland where LGBTQ+ people can live without it.

Firewalk takes place on Thursday 29th October between 5.45 pm and 9 pm at the Grange Cricket Club, Edinburgh.

Want to get involved?

We kindly ask you to set a fundraising target of £100 (which we have no doubt you’ll absolutely smash out of the park), but if you don’t quite manage to raise that much, please know that every pound you do raise will make a huge difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Scotland.

Once you’re signed up on Eventbrite, you can then create a fundraising page for LGBT Health and Wellbeing on JustGiving and start raising some money!

Fundraising Tips 101!

Our Fundraising and Partnerships Coordinator, Paige, is always available for any support and advice when it comes to fundraising! She’s put together this Fundraising Tips 101 section with all the words of wisdom you could need to get you started.

If you’ve never taken part in a challenge like this or never fundraised for a charity before, it can feel a bit daunting. Raising £100 takes time and effort, and we appreciate every minute you spend raising as much money as you can, but there are some simple ways you can really maximise your fundraising. Here are some of our top tips:

Add a profile photo to your JustGiving page
- According to JustGiving, adding a profile photo to your fundraising page can help you raise 23% more money for your cause. It’s that easy!
Include your personal story – the people want to know!
- Including your ‘why’, title headers, images, links, even just the word ‘please’ can help you raise up to 103% more!
Set a fundraising target
- Setting a goal helps, and make sure to update it once you hit it! You might raise 45% more than if you didn’t.
Post regular updates
- We recommend posting regular updates and sharing your fundraisers across your socials and messenger apps.
- Every share has real monetary value, and the top 10% of fundraisers share their page at least 11 times!

One final bit of advice: set your own personalised thank you message so your sponsors feel appreciated. Tell them why their donation means so much to you, and thank them for taking the time to sponsor you. It really does go a long way.

Prepping for the night…

Wondering how you should prepare for the evening itself, and what you should bring? Here’s our list of recommended items to bring to keep things simple:

Warm clothes and maybe some waterpoofs
Comfy clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting mucky
Cosy socks to put on after the walk
Snacks and water (maybe a hot tea!)
Wipes in case you’d like to clean your feet after walking
Friends and family to support you and celebrate with after!

Wondering how to celebrate the achievement?

Walking across fire is no mean feat. After it’s all over, you should share your amazing achievement far and wide! Let everyone know what you did for the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland! We recommend bringing friends and family along to support you on the day, and it would also be the perfect excuse for a celebratory party, dinner, or just cake and some tea!

We’ll also be sending you a certificate to celebrate your hard work officially. You’re welcome to hang it directly at your front door so everyone who visits knows how badass you are!

A message from our CEO…

We’re excited to announce that both our CEO, Mark, and our Chair of the Board, Yor, have taken on the challenge for this fundraiser! And as Mark says:

“Many of us know what it’s like to face fear every day and be courageous just by living our true, authentic lives. So if you feel like pushing yourself even further outside of your comfort zone to raise money to keep our services going, then please join me!”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves!

Still haven’t signed up?

We have limited spaces left for this event, so get in there fast if you fancy giving it a red-hot go. Don’t miss out!

We’re fired up for this challenge, and we hope you are too! Please reach out to your Firewalk champion, Paige, with any burning questions, and we’ll see you on the night. Bring your flame game 🔥

Sign Up Here!

Contact: fundraising@lgbthealth.org.uk