Sussex hikers return from Sahara Desert and raise £136,000 for St Catherine’s Hospice
45 supporters of St. Catherine’s Hospice traveled the Sahara to raise money for the terminally ill and help build a new hospice at Pease Pottage.
St Catherine’s fundraising manager Michaela Clements will be with the trekkers in the Sahara.
Michaela said: “We are so grateful to our amazing hikers for signing up to traverse the largest hot desert in the world.
“Their efforts will make a big difference to local terminally ill people, their families and enable our hospice to help more people in the future.
“At the moment, we can only take care of one in three people who need us. It is vital that we continue to fundraise so that we can take care of everyone. I can’t wait to conquer the Sahara with this incredible group.
Hikers will be divided into two groups of 23 and 22 and will spend four days each traversing ancient dry riverbeds and vast sun-scorched plains. Hikers will even sleep under the stars.
The bespoke trek is St Catherine’s third overseas adventure, and the local charity is hoping to raise £135,000 through the challenge.
Broadbridge Heath fundraiser Lucy Pitts, said: ‘Over the years St Catherine has always been on my radar. I remember fundraising as a child and since then I have known several people who spent their last weeks there. ”
Lucy will take up the challenge with her 16-year-old daughter, Greta.
Lucy adds: “I usually do at least one big fundraising event a year and when I heard about the trek I thought it sounded fabulous. Then my daughter said she wanted to join too. She was only 13 when we signed up and I had some reservations, but she has done so well with her fundraising and training.
“It’s going to be an amazing experience for her. This will be his first trip outside of Europe and I can’t think of a better way to give him a full education.
“I’m looking forward to most of the trip – sleeping in the desert, pushing myself, meeting new people and visiting Morocco. It will be special to see my daughter experience all of these things too.
“Sometimes it’s hard to take in that what I, Greta and our fellow hikers are doing will have a direct impact on other people.
“We all know someone with cancer or another life-threatening illness and we’ve all had that helpless feeling of being unable to help. But, by doing something like that, we cannot.