PLEASE will you help? On Monday 10th May 2010, my lovely Granda, Jim Francis died in a house fire in the family home in Carrowdore, County Down, Northern Ireland. He left my Granny, my uncle and auntie, my mum and dad, his 5 grandsons together with 4 brothers and a sister and their families. He was an engineer and electrician by trade and was well known and loved in the wider rural community and an active member of Carrowdore Presbyterian Church. Such was the impact of Granda on others, at least 700 friends and family attended his funeral.

I did this walk twice in 24 hours - a total of approximately 52 miles and a climb of some 10,000+ feet. This is twice as far and twice as high as I has ever walked in a single day. I did the walk to raise money for the Fire Emergency Support Service, a charitable organisation staffed by volunteers from the British Red Cross, who provided support to family and friends in the immediate aftermath of Granda’s death. FESS also support families and firefighters in floods, bombs , any domestic traumas where home is not available. They offer shelter, food, emotional support, phones, privacy and advice. I wish I still didn’t know about them but we really want to help them after all the help they gave to us.