As part of our 2026 Health & Public Service Charity Challenge "Who Dares Wins" in the stunning scenery of Blencathra in the Lake District, I will take part in Dare to Reach New Heights.

100 colleagues will undertake a test of physical and mental endurance, navigate less-trodden paths, undergo challenges as a team, and (hopefully) still be able to work together at the end of it.

This year, we are championing a cause you may know is close to my heart: Tommy's - pregnancy and baby charity who exist to stop the heartbreak and devastation of baby loss, support people through fertility challenges, and to make pregnancy and birth safer.

This charity is dedicated to finding causes and treatments as well as providing trusted pregnancy and baby loss information and support. I have been grateful for the support I received after the loss of our little one Pip in 2025, and this challenge was what I took part in as the physical goal to recover after my surgery. Mental recovery can take longer and the signposted support groups were incredibly valuable to me in a difficult time.

If you are able to donate, you will be helping find answers, cures, and support to those in need. Each donation will help take a step closer to bringing more healthy babies into the world, and helping would-be parents feel less alone. Up to £100 will be matched by the company as well.

You're also helping to spark a conversation about a topic that often isolates. Raising awareness is one of the best thing we can do to help normalise this topic, for people to reach out and share experiences, and prevent them suffering in silence. I am proud we are supporting this charity this year and that we have a platform to talk.

The pictures show a token James carved for Pip and it's visit to the top of a mountain in the Peak District last year. Tommy's video (get your tissues): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmkQKjlJVac