Bring a smile to a fellow walker’s face – and receive a gift from a friend you haven’t met yet – with our epic annual gift exchange. Welcome to Walk 1000 Miles Secret Santa– the most Christmassy virtual village we call home.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – walking brings out the nicest things in people, so for the fourth year running we’re organising something big, warm and fuzzy this Christmas. It’s great big gift exchange, where #walk1000miles participants send and receive presents to and from people they don’t know, but with whom they know they share the common bond of walking. It’s free to register, and you must be signed up with #walk1000miles to be eligible take part. It’s based on trust and it works wonderfully in almost all cases. You can see what previous participants thought here.
“‘It’s become a great Christmas tradition!’
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How it works
1 Register
Fill in the form below. It’s quick and free!
2 Pair matching
Pairs are randomly matched, matchings occuring on 23 November for everyone who registers before then, and a final one on 4 December to make sure no-one misses out. Soon after whichever pairing applies to you, you’ll get an email from us giving you the details of your giftee. This will be a different person to the one sending you a gift.
3 Gift choosing
There’s a guideline max spend of £10 for new items, but it could be handmade and the more personal it is to the recipient (you can find their posts in the group for ideas) the better. Pre-loved, good quality, well-targeted gifts are acceptable too. #walk1000miles merchandise always goes down well. Send your gift to arrive by Christmas!
4 Receive your gift
Post a photo and a word of thanks in the group including the hashtag #secretsanta. Senders can choose to identify themselves or not.
5 Got a question?
Scroll down below the entry form for FAQs.
“‘It worked perfectly’
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FAQs
Is this based completely on trust?
Yes! By registering you agree to send a gift to your allotted recipient, and someone else will have undertaken to send a gift to you. It only works if people do what they promise, but since we think people are almost 100% good we think it will. By taking part you must accept the small risk that you will send a gift but not receive one. But it’s the giving that really makes you happy.
Who will see my address?
Only the person assigned to be your gifter. If you don’t want to give your home address you can give your work address or opt for your gift to be sent to a local post office marked poste restante.
How much do I need to spend?
There is a guideline limit of £10 for new items but making the gift relevant to a walker (and personal to that walker in particular) is more important than any financial value. Hand-made gifts are very much welcome, and good quality, pre-loved items are fine too.
Do I say who the gift is from?
No. Part of the fun of Secret Santa lies in not knowing who the gift is from. After receiving your gift, you can post an open message of thanks in the #walk1000miles Facebook group using the hashtag #secretsanta, and it’s then up to the sender if they want to identify themselves.
What happens after I sign up?
Nothing until after 10 November when registration closes. Soon after then you will hear from us for the first time, when you receive details of your giftee in an email sent from secretsanta@walk1000miles.co.uk. Add this to your contacts now so your message doesn’t end up in your spam.
