*UPDATE*

The good news is we've made it to Mont Blanc.

The bad news is, the heatwave over the last few weeks has had such a devastating impact on the mountain that the glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate.

Rocks are flying down the mountain - making an attempt to climb incredibly dangerous, while crevices are opening up - meaning routes are now impassable.

In fact, the authorities have now shut the mountain.

Despite the disappointing news, we won't be defeated and instead we're going to do something different because we desperately want to honour all those people who have given so much money towards the brilliant Cambridge Children's Hospital.

Gina and I will now be doing 'The Tour of Mont Blanc' - a 100-mile trek, with an ascent higher than even Mount Everest, in 4-days. That's the equivalent of a marathon a day!

Thanks again for your continued support and generosity.

Matt

At the end of July, I will attempt to climb to the summit of Mont Blanc - the highest mountain in the Alps - to raise money for the planned Cambridge Children’s Hospital.

Incredibly, East Anglia remains the only part of England that doesn't have a dedicated hospital for children. So, there is a pressing need for a new hospital to serve the region, including my own West Suffolk constituency.

The team behind the Cambridge Children's Hospital have an inspiring vision, not just of creating a new children's hospital, but of creating a world-class research centre that brings together the treatment of mental and physical health for children.

As the biggest centre of genomic research in the world, Cambridge is perfectly placed to combine the treatment and research to find new cures for rare diseases. The design and purpose of the project is to treat both the physical and mental health of children, and the impact of child illness on their families.

As Health Secretary, I got the ball rolling and gave the initial funding of £100m to the project, but to fulfil the cutting-edge vision of its founders, the hospital needs to double that level of support.

Every penny I receive from doing this challenge will go towards supporting children's care at Cambridge University Hospital and in time, provide the most compassionate support modern medical science has to offer for children in need of care. 

I have been training for the trek since the beginning of the year and will attempt the climb with my partner Gina and a guide. Gina will be raising money for The Willow Foundation - a charity working with seriously ill young adults. 

I have always loved an outdoor challenge. Last year I ran the London marathon for St Nicholas Hospice Care.

A decade ago, I became the first MP in modern times to win a horse race at the Newmarket July Course, raising money for Racing Welfare and the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund.

And in 2005, I trekked to the North Pole, fundraising for Cancer Research UK and carrying out experiments for the European Space Agency.

Shelley Thake, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) CEO, said: 

“We would like to thank Matt for his fundraising – smashing his £10,000 target and raising over £22,000 is incredible. This money will have a huge impact on the way we treat children in our region, bringing mental and physical health together in a whole new way. When we launch our main public fundraising campaign, we will be asking people from every corner of East Anglia to get behind this.

"That so many people have already got behind Matt’s fundraising, is a sure sign that people are excited about the campaign to build a new Children’s Hospital for the East of England and making it a reality.”

For more information on Cambridge Children's Hospital please visit: www.cambridgechildrens.org.uk

As the hospital's fundraising charity, ACT will be launching lots of fun public fundraising activity for the new hospital. If you want to keep up to date, please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk