A new year, and new career! In January 2024 I began quite a radical career change from academia (in Death Studies) to youth work, setting up and delivering a mentoring programme for the Young Carers Development Trust.

YCDT is a registered charity that tackles the lack of educational and social opportunity experienced by many young carers due to their caring responsibilities. Children and young people who are young carers miss out on all sorts of opportunities, from basic education to social and developmental activities. At the Young Carers Development Trust we enable young carers to fulfil their potential, aspirations and see a future beyond their caring responsibilities.

To support the great work of my new employer, I want to use my first holiday in the job as an opportunity to fundraise for YCDT. My husband, Dave, and I have decided we'll traverse Scotland entirely under our own steam and rough camp all the way, carrying our tent and food.

We'll be walking from Glasgow to Fort William along the West Highland Way, arriving in time to summit Ben Nevis on Beltane/May day (weather permitting). The following day, we'll proceed on foot from Fort William to Neptune's Staircase at Banavie, where we'll swap hiking for paddling and canoe across Scotland to Inverness, along the Great Glen Canoe trail.