I last entered an event in support of Willen in 2019, when I trekked for a week in the heat and rain of the Borneo jungle.  Now I am taking on the dry heat of the Sahara Desert.

Whilst there will be no leeches this time (yippee!) I have been told to expect strong winds, temperatures of up to 35°C during the day and 0°C at night!  

It takes 9 hours in a truck on winding roads to get into the desert (not good because I'm prone to motion sickness) and 9 hours to get back out. In between, there will be 50km to cover on foot, carrying all our provisions with us.  And in case you are wondering: no, there won't be any toilet facilities!

I also want to say that I am covering the full cost of this trip from my own resources. I have already paid £390 and have donated another £655 via this page - £1,045 in total.  That way, all funds raised will be going to the cause and not on trip costs.  

Why am I doing this?

I support Willen because I admire the excellent work they do. As well as raising funds for them on the Borneo trek in 2019, last year I volunteered for 10 days as part of the support team for the Willen Paris to Nice Cycle Challenge.  Now I am back on the fundraising trail and hope you feel this is an undertaking you can support. 

Willen Hospice’s care touches thousands of local people every year. They provide specialist care to people with life limiting illnesses, delivering round the clock care and ongoing support for patients and their families, as well as bereavement support. And these services are completely free of charge.

This valuable work costs the hospice around £540 per hour to deliver. They receive less than a quarter of their funding from the NHS - the rest is donated or fundraised. Every pound given makes a difference, which is why your support is so important and so appreciated – thank you.