This year will mark 20 years since my mum passed away. I told her before she died that she would never be just a photo in a frame and have tried my best to honour this by making her part of the important times she has missed. Inspiring my thesis, being spoken about in my wedding speeches, and by my children, who talk about their nanny who they never met - her love of animals, the cakes she baked, her favourite cheese!

This year especially, I wanted to bring her memory alive again and find a way to remember her that is positive and productive and allows me to share who she was. My mum, Marilyn, was funny, she could laugh at herself and taught us to do the same. She liked to be different, had a strong sense of injustice, paid attention to inequality and wanted to help. Her working life reflected this, as a residential social worker with adults with learning disabilities and later with young people in care. She was complex (aren’t we all) having struggled with mental health difficulties most of her life. But when her light was shining there was no better place to be.

To remember her this year, myself and three friends (who have known her almost as long as me) are taking on a challenge to raise money for two charities we believe my mum would have loved.

On 26th May we will be taking on a 10 peak challenge; climbing 10 peaks within 12 hours, encountering difficult terrain, lengthy descents and steep climbs along the way. We expect this to be the hardest physical challenge we’ve ever done and are hoping the beauty of the Lake District (and endless squats) will get us through. We would be so grateful if you could donate to the two charities we have chosen. Dandelion Time which offers a unique therapeutic space to children who have experienced trauma and Cocoon who offers support and financial assistance to young people leaving care (one of the most disadvantaged group in our society). Both of these are very small charities that are doing such valuable work and the amount we raise could make a real difference to the children and young people they support. I believe my mum would have been really chuffed to have money raised for them in her name. Seeing the money pledged will really help us meet this massive challenge.