Me and a team of co-op colleagues from across the UK are gathering together from the 31st of October to the 15th of November 2020 to trek across Nepal and up to base camp of Mount Everest. This is part of a national fundraising effort, and we have all chosen our own charities to support through this amazing challenge.
This trek is graded challenging to extreme because we will be trekking for 12 consecutive days over rough terrain, we will be exposed to higher altitudes each day, (average 4000m and up to a maximum of
5554m) and will stay overnight in basic teahouses. Each day’s trek is between 5 and 8 hours (variable depending on group pace) and we will cover approximately 10-15km per day.
I have chosen to support Treetops Hospice. They receive no government funding, but they help so many people. And its personal too. As some of you may know, my mum was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer back in 2013. She's still here and annoying me today, and for the past couple of years she's been going to treetops once a week as a day patient. They're currently raising money to build an inpatient unit for respite and end of life care giving people the option to be cared for in a purpose built facility as well as them offering home care. It costs in the region of £3,000,000 a year for treetops to care for all the people they do, and as I said they don't receive any money from the government. When I got the chance to do this, I knew I couldn't miss it. The chance to go and do something amazing, and raise money to help people in the same boat as my mum. For those of you who know my mum, you'll know that she is one of the strongest people you will ever meet, and treetops help her keep her smile and her strength.