Over the last 12 years I have unfortunately lost dear friends and family members I was very close to, including my parents. Some were cared for in their last stage of their life in a hospice, like The Butterfly Hospice.

Based in Boston, Lincolnshire, the role of The Butterfly Hospice is to provide palliative care and holistic support to guests and their families, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Guests come to the Hospice for respite, symptom control and for care at the end of life.

When you or someone you care about is seriously ill, you want to know that they are getting the best possible care and treatment, and so does everyone working at The Butterfly Hospice. Their aim is to enrich people’s quality of life by relieving symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, and other distressing problems through the skills of their experienced and caring teams, as well as providing therapeutic support to families and guests . The Butterfly Hospice provides care in a private facility at no cost to those who spend time with us, ensuring that for guests every lived day is the best it can be.

The difference such care makes, not only for the patient but also for the family, is immense. Such care provides dignity and sanctuary.

To help ensure this type of care can continue, I would like to raise as much money as possible by setting myself a challenge that is out of my comfort zone: I will be trekking up Mera Peak in Nepal, directly opposite Mount Everest. At 6474 metres or over 21.000 feet, Mera Peak is considered one of the highest trekking mountains in the world. The last 600 metres are tough going, requiring ice axe and crampons and temperatures reaching as low as -30.

As some of you may know, this trek was due to take place in 2023, but a head-on collision on the 7th December 2022 put a stop to it. Recovering from whiplash and a hand injury have added to the challenge. After great care and support from my husband, friends and health care professionals, I felt confident enough to embark on various walks, treks and finally my crampon and ice axe training in the Scottish Mountains this February. Also, regular sessions in the gym (I am the one with a massive rucksack and ankle weights pounding the Stairmaster), a weekly Pilates session to sort out core muscles and countless walks in the The Peak District and North Wales have increased my fitness to tackle this challenge.

With every step I take and with every metre I scale, I hope to raise money for this amazing charity.