Mountain challenge next for woman inspired by tragedy

JANE Stevens had never walked more than nine hours in one go.

But now the fundraiser from Boston Spa, near Wetherby, who together with her family set up a charity following the death of her sister, has completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks in 11 hours and is now preparing for her next challenge.

She will tackle the National Three Peaks next month to raise cash for the Emma Maltby Memorial Fund.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: “On June 11/12th with 14 other competitors, including my husband Paul, I will be climbing and descending Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, 3,407 metres in all, within 24 hours.

“We start at 5pm on Ben Nevis and work our way south through the night and the following day to achieve our target of finishing at 5pm on the Sunday.”

The Emma Maltby Memorial Fund aims to provide educational, developmental and emotional support to young cancer sufferers.

Following Mrs Maltby’s death, her family set up a fund in her name and also in memory of her father, Peter Rawson, who died of bone cancer when Mrs Maltby was 16. It helps young cancer sufferers receive an education while they are in hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The family chose to help young adults because Mrs Maltby, who was born in Kirk Deighton, near Wetherby, was badly affected by her father’s death in adolescence.

Grief stopped her reaching her educational potential at school; but in later life she gained a first class degree in comparative religion at King’s College, London, and later a first in theology at the former Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education.

Young cancer patients in particular need educational, emotional and developmental support while in hospital coping with the trauma and disruption of the illness. The fund helps fulfil this by providing learning mentors and was the first charity to finance a hospital-based role of this kind in the UK.

The role of a learning mentor involves combining pastoral care with educational guidance and liaising with qualified teaching staff. The Emma Maltby Memorial Fund also advises other hospitals up and down the country.

Anyone wanting to support those taking part in the challenge can visit www.justgiving.com/3peaks-emmf