Chesterfield hospice workers raise almost £5,000 for health facility by trekking up England's highest mountain

Palliative care nurses, Georgie Stain, Sharon Hill and Laura Webb embarked on the physical challenge alongside Laura’s husband, Andrew who works in the hospice’s maintenance department, and volunteer, Maurice Suter.

The Ashgate Hospicecare staff raised almost £5,0000 by trekking up the country’s tallest mountain, Scafell Pike in the Lake District on Saturday, October 24 – to increase funds for the health facility which has lost an estimated revenue of £2 million during the Covid-19 crisis.

Hospice health bosses were forced to cancel their annual Sparkle Night Walk and Christmas market, which ordinarily they relied on for income, because of new coronavirus restrictions.

The team were originally supposed to climb Mount Snowdon in Wales but changed their plans after the country banned people who live in areas with high Covid-19 infection rates from entering.

It took Georgie, Sharon, Laura, Andrew and Maurice seven hours in total to walk to the top of England’s highest mountain – which has an elevation of 3,209 ft – during wet and windy conditions.

The hospice employees raised £4,845 for Chesterfield’s Ashgate Hospicecare – who are currently in discussion with NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group about the need to increase health budgets for specialist end of life care during the pandemic.

Husband and wife, Andrew and Laura, were already active walkers before the trek but admitted the climb had been ‘challenging’.

“It was really challenging, I think we underestimated it”, Laura said.

"It was -5 degrees when we got to the summit, it took a lot of team work with rallying and encouraging each other just to push on.

"It is a great achievement and we were really relieved when we did get there because it's quite a long slog.

"We were just glad we all made it together as a team.

“It was the hardest walk I've ever done and myself and my husband Andy do like walking, especially up mountains but that was certainly the most difficult.”

The 28-year-old palliative care nurse who lives in Somersall explained how her and her colleagues fundraiser was designed to raise awareness about the challenges the hospice is facing as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down.

Laura added: "Although we know that the money we've raised won't bridge the huge funding gap at the hospice, our main aim was to raise awareness of the current situation and do what we can to help.

"Every little does help and this shows our support and commitment to the hospice and just how much it means to us.

"I like being out in the fresh air, it helps clear your head and I think with all of the negativity with Covid to be able to get out in the fresh air and focus on something positive and raising awareness has definitely given us a different focus."

Visit the Ashgate Hospicecare donation page by clicking here.

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