Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

For the last year I have been volunteering and working for Bethany Christian Trust at a precious place called Anne Hope House. It is a supported residential community for women with a range of issues like addiction, mental health, trauma and other complex needs. We provide support for the women who are motivated to address underlying complex issues and are either experiencing homelessness or in temporary accommodation. 

Anne Hope House fell into my life weeks before the first lockdown started in March 2020. As a volunteer I came in once a week, shared a meal with the women and spent the evening with them. Initially really rather nervous I came in wondering how on earth I had anything to say to people with such massively different life experience from mine. But even on my first night I was struck with this - these ladies are women just like me! Many nights and shifts have gone by since then and I have had the absolute privilege of coming alongside women who have been through unbelievable trauma and difficult situations. It has been so precious to spend time with them laughing, crying, chatting, doing crafts, playing games while they try and make sense of life as they know it.

Sadly, Covid-shmovid means that we haven't been able to fill the house to its full capacity which in turn has affected the budget in a big way (we're down £20,000 to be exact)! Having learnt a bit about what these women have been through I cannot tell you how much we need a place like Anne Hope House and the help that it offers! 

I want to do something to help this situation and raise a little bit of cash! I'm not very good at exercising without a good cause! My fitness levels sit at a big fat ZERO. However, climbing the Pentland hills has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Having Anne Hope House and the precious ladies as my cause will most definitely push me up and down those hills! The aim is to start at Flotterstone, climb Turnhouse, Carnethy, Scald Law, South Black Hill, West & East kip before I return to Flotterstone along the reservoirs. Please consider supporting my efforts!