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Participants walk from Darkness Into Light to raise awareness of suicide and self-harm and mental illness, and to raise funds for organisations that can help.Photo: Darkness Into Light Facebook page 

The brainchild of Irish residents Emma Farrell, Lynda Jacob and Caoimhe Alliot-Stenson, Darkness Into Light Luxembourg is one of over 200 sunrise walks that will take place on 11 May.

The initiative was first launched in 2009 in Ireland as a fund-raiser for Pieta House, which provides freely accessible counselling to people suffering from suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm, as well as those bereaved by suicide. Pieta House now has 240 qualified therapists in 15 centres around Ireland.

400 people set-off on the inaugural Darkness into Light walk in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, and the event then went national and international. The Luxembourg walk, like all others a 5km circuit, will take participants from the Altrimenti centre on avenue Marie-Thérèse through the city park, into the old town and down into the Grund before returning to the starting point. Participants will all get T-shirts to wear on the walk that they can keep to commemorate the event.

The walk begins in darkness at 5 a.m. and will end, symbolically, as the sun rises just before 6 a.m. Back at the Altrimenti centre the organisers will provide snacks and drinks and space for people to chat about their experiences.

As well as raising funds and awareness for Pieta House, Luxembourg participants will also be walking in aid of local organisations the Service Information et Prévention of D'Ligue and SOS Détresse - Mir hëllefen iwwer Telefon an online. The Luxembourg walk has already received support from the likes of Irish ambassador Peadar Carpenter, European Commissioner for health, Vytenis Andriukaitis and John Ryan, the director of public health at the Commission, as well as the City of Luxembourg and the Maison de l’Europe.

Registration costs €20 for adults and €15 for students, job-seekers and the over 65s and just €5 for children between 6 and 17--under 5s can take part for free. Registration is now open via the Luxembourg page on the international Darkness Into Light website.