“Altitude for Angels” Kilimanjaro Challenge

My name is Craig Smith, and together with two of my close friends, Paddy Herbert, and Adi Toal, will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the worlds highest freestanding mountain (19,370 ft) at the end of September 2023 to raise much needed funds for The Myton Hospices Charity.

I am proud to have a long-standing association with The Myton Hospices having previously raised funds for the charity through various individual and group challenge events since 2009. These have included 500+ mile cycle challenges, the 24-peaks challenge, and more recently in 2021, The Dads & Dragons Snowdon Challenge, which we raised £16,904 for Myton Hospices.

The Myton Hospices Charity are very special to me and my family due to both of my brothers spending their last days in the care of The Myton Hospices.

Firstly, on 19th April 2016, we lost my younger brother Daniel Smith (Dan) to cancer, aged just 24 years old. Dan's last days were spent at The Myton Hospice in Warwick.

Then on May 2nd, 2023, we sadly lost my remaining brother Carl Smith, aged 50 years old, again to cancer. Carl spent his last days at The Myton Hospice in Coventry.

From personal experience I can say that Myton Hospices provided a warm and dignified end of life environment for both of my brothers to slip away peacefully surrounded by family and friends, which we will forever be grateful for. The Myton team were so amazing, providing expert and compassionate care to my brothers and a range of additional support services for my family and friends, ensuring those final moments were as special as they can be.

The Myton Hospices faces a huge fundraising challenge having to raise £10.5 million annually to keep their Hospices in Coventry, Warwick, and Rugby fully operational.

The last four years have been a particularly challenging period for Myton Hospices, firstly the impact of Covid-19 pandemic hit Myton Hospices particularly hard with many of their traditional fundraising channels no longer being viable. Now the cost-of-living crisis is impacting heavily on the nation, so the fundraising challenge is as hard as it has ever been for Myton Hospices.

That is why we have set ourselves a challenging fund-raising target of £16,000 for Myton Hospices, as they are a local charity very much in need. We would like to encourage all those that are making donation to tick the gift aid box when donating. Gift Aid will add an additional 25% on top of your donation, at no extra cost to you. So an initial donation of £50 will result in a total donation of £62.50.

Kilimanjaro Challenge information:

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. 5,895 metres (19,370 ft).

The challenge team will be trekking over a 7-day period between 23rd September and 29th September. 6 nights will be spent camping overnight at various altitudes on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Summitting Kilimanjaro is classed as an extreme mountain challenge and one which will test all the strength of all three challenge team members both physically and mentally.

One of the key challenges will be altitude sickness / acclimatisation as the team will be trekking and summitting at almost 20,000 ft, where the air is thin and oxygen levels are low.

We are expected to experience extreme weather conditions; including heavy rain, strong winds, hot temperatures, and extremely high UV levels as well as freezing temperatures as we get closer to the summit. Sleep deprivation is standard due to the extreme altitude conditions.

The Myton Hospices:

There are 3 Myton Hospices; in Coventry, Rugby and Warwick.

The Myton Hospices took care of more than 1800 patients (and their families) in 2021. The Myton Hospices provide specialist compassionate end of life patient care for terminally ill adults in Coventry & Warwickshire.

More than 1000 volunteers support The Myton Hospices in various roles. The Myton Hospices have 300 members of staff including their specialist medical teams. 83p in every £1 raised goes directly to patient & family services.

The difference your donation will make:

• £12 will fund a patient’s meals for one day.

• £25 provides for the daily upkeep cost of our relative’s accommodation.

• £25 covers the cost of one hour’s specialist nursing care.

• £106 will fund a Myton at Home nurse to visit a patient at home.

• £162 will fund 10 children’s bereavement counselling sessions.

• £460 will fund an inpatient bed for one day.

• £2000 would buy a patient specific recliner chair to enable patients to spend time out of bed.

For more information on Myton Hospices: www.mytonhospice.org/

We are welcoming Company Donations / Sponsorship:

• For a minimum donation of £500, your company’s logo will be printed on The Myton Hospices challenge team shirts that the team will be wearing throughout the challenge event. We will be regularly posting pictures of the team during the challenge wearing the challenge shirts.

• Your company’s logo and website link will also be profiled on our fundraising page, as well as a thank you from the challenge team.

• Your company will also receive formal letter of gratitude directly from The Myton Hospices Fundraising Team thanking you for supporting the event.

For more information, please contact Craig Smith (07706) 005763

Meet the Challenge Team:

The three friends taking on the challenge are Craig Smith, Paddy Herbert and Adi Toal. Please click on the "view gallery" icon at the top of the fundraising page which will allow you to click through to the personal profiles for each challenge team member as well as pictures the Myton Hospice Fundraising Team.

The Myton Hospices – Fundraising Representatives:

Natalie Walker and Marc Dwyer.

Marc Dwyer, the Events Fundraiser at, The Myton Hospices, sends this message to the challenge team and to those making donations:

The Myton Hospices, are extremely grateful for the immense efforts made by Craig, Paddy and Adi for taking on this epic Kilimanjaro challenge. Right now, we need to raise £10.5m to provide our full range of services - including the only in-patient hospice beds in the whole of Coventry & Warwickshire - at no cost, ever, to our patients, and we simply can't do that without the incredible support of people like Craig, Paddy and Adi.

Thanks in advance for any support you are able to give.

Craig, Paddy and Adi xXx