A recent pair of fundraisers, Christopher Hurdman and Phil Hobbs, took on an incredible challenge for Helen & Douglas House. On the 29th January they set off to Morocco for their attempt to summit Jbel Toubkal summit in the Atlas Mountains. In doing this challenge, they were also raising vital funds for two charities Helen & Douglas House and RE:ACT Disaster Response.
The Toubkal Mountain Peak is in Southwestern Morocco and at 4,167 metres is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco and North Africa. Their trip was due to run over 10 days, giving them enough chance to summit again, should the first attempt be unsuccessful due to the bad weather. We are pleased to announce that they completed their challenge in early February, and have also surpassed their fundraising goal.
Completing this epic climb was a massive achievement for Chris and Phil and it was the highest peak that either of them have ever taken on. Chris was inspired to fundraise for the hospice as he knows Jack and his family, who have been coming to Helen & Douglas House for many years. To make the climb even more challenging, Chris also carried a 15kg rucksack, which is equal to Jack’s weight. He also said that he made sure he carried a picture of Jack to look at every time he struggled with the climb.
‘Helen & Douglas House is a wonderful Oxfordshire charity and my friend Jack has spent many happy days there. I have been lucky enough to know Jack since he was born and he was my inspiration for climbing Toubkal’. – Chris
More about Jack
Jack was born in 2014. He was born six weeks prematurely and wasn’t breathing, and being starved of oxygen. This resulted in severe brain damage for him. With a new baby with complications, his family felt lost. This was when they were referred to Helen & Douglas House. They didn’t understand what a hospice was, or could do for them. But as soon as they arrived they felt warmth and care. It was life-changing for the whole family to be supported by the hospice.
Jack, who is nearly nine years old, continues to visit for supportive stays and benefits from the care that the specialist doctors and care team delivery. Whilst he stays, his family often also stay in our flats and appreciate the chance to get a good night’s sleep and recharge so they can continue to care for him. On his visits Jack enjoys the music room, therapeutic pool and sensory room.
‘It is such a relief to walk through the door. Without Helen & Douglas House we would be exhausted. We would be lost without their help. It is an amazing place.’ – Mary, Jack’s mum.
As well as pushing their limits by completing this extraordinary climb, in extreme conditions, Chris and Phil also smashed their £2,000 fundraising target, which is currently sitting at around £3,500 (20th Feb 2023). We want to thank Chris and Phil for completing this incredible challenge and for raising a fantastic amount of money for both charities.
If you’d like to help Chris and Phil raise even more you can donate to their fundraising page.
A donation of £1,750, which is half of the amount raised as it is being split between the two charities, will make an incredible difference to the hospice. It could help to pay for two members of care team to care for children like Jack for us up to 10 days each. Ten days if the same amount of time that Chris and Phil scheduled for their climb, it is amazing what a difference can be made in that timescale.
Take on your own challenge
If you are interested in taking on a challenge for Helen & Douglas House, we have a variety of events that you can take part in.
Or, if you want to take on your own, we can support you. Please get in touch fundraising@helenanddouglas.org.uk.