Me

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to visit and read my fundraising page 😊

I am Nicole, a 31-year-old from Essex, an avid world traveller and animal lover who will be attempting to take on a huge challenge in the summer to climb Mont Blanc to raise money for Battersea Dogs and Cat’s Home, a fantastic charity and one that is close to my heart.

The Challenge

Straddling the France-Italy border and standing a 4,807m above sea level, Mont Blanc is considered to be the highest mountain in Western mainland Europe, the second highest mountain on the European continent after Mount Elbrus and the eleventh most prominent mountain in the world. On 11th July 2023, I will be attempting to climb this huge mountain to the summit.. I am a novice at mountaineering and this will be my first-ever attempt at climbing such a vast mountain. The challenge itself is set to involve many smaller challenges to overcome, including extreme endurance, altitude sickness and cold weather exposure (-20oC). Most people who know me will know that I don’t like being cold and am not a fan of walking uphill, so this is going to be a mighty challenge. But hey, it wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy, right?

The Charity

Coming from a family of avid animal lovers, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is a charity that is very close to my heart. In 2018, my family and I lost our own gorgeous and loyal dog Buster after 17 wonderful years and I have always wanted to honour his memory by undertaking a challenge dedicated to dogs, but I have never found the time to do so until now. Established in 1860, Battersea Dogs and Cats home is a rescue centre specifically for dogs and cats, that strives every day to care for the animals in their care and to make sure that every dog and cat finds their perfect forever home. They care for and rehome thousands of dogs and cats every year and the work that they do is incredible. However, the process of caring for our furry friends is not a cheap one and thus they rely heavily on donations from the public. Any donation that you could make towards this challenge would make such a difference, from providing vital medications and vaccinations to our beautiful animal friends, to the resources needed to house and feed them, and find them a loving forever home. To find out more about the fantastic work that these guys do, follow the link: (https://www.battersea.org.uk).

The climb has been self-funded and thus every penny raised will go straight to Battersea.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my fundraising page and a huge thank you in advance to anyone who donates to this amazing cause! I will be sure to keep you all updated on the progress of this challenge via social media and the JustGiving Page.