Everest Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres above sea level, where there is around 50% less oxygen than here in the UK, making every step of this trek a real physical and mental challenge.

In April 2027, I’ll be taking on one of the biggest challenges of my life: trekking to Everest Base Camp. This is well outside my comfort zone, but it’s a challenge I’ve chosen deliberately because I’m doing it to raise money for a cause that means a great deal to me - Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria is the only provider of adult hospice services in our area, offering high‑quality palliative and end of life care to people across West Cumbria. Every penny raised by local people stays within the local community, helping ensure that compassionate, dignified care is available to those who need it most, at one of the hardest times in their lives.

This cause is deeply personal to me. After I lost my mam Joan in February 2017, the charity supported me through some incredibly difficult days with bereavement counselling that helped me find my joy again. Over the years, I’ve also seen first‑hand the care and kindness they provide to others - caring for my lifelong neighbour, David and supporting his wife Kath over many years. Hospice at Home West Cumbria also provided compassionate end of life care to my friend Liz’s beloved dad, Bob.

This trek is my way of giving something back and helping ensure that Hospice at Home West Cumbria can continue to support families like mine and those I care so deeply about, right here at home. If you’re able to donate, attend one of the fundraising events I’ll be organising, share this page, or simply cheer me on, I’d be incredibly grateful. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a real difference.

Thank you so much for your support. It genuinely means the world to me and will give me a huge boost during the toughest days of the trek - when I’ll be reminding myself exactly why I’m doing this.