Francesca Hall and Danielle Eastwood
Brave staff from Clifton Hospital are about to embark on a Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge for a local hospital charity.
Sister Francesca Hall and Advanced Practitioner, Danielle Eastwood, are leading a seven-strong team of friends and colleagues to raise money for Blue Skies Hospitals Fund’s Peace of Mind Appeal that supports patients living with dementia.
Danielle said: “We will be walking 24 miles over Pen-y-ghent, Whemside and Ingleborough with a total ascent of 5200ft which we aim to complete in 12 hours.
“Fran and I like walking and we are both passionate about raising money to enhance dementia patient care, so we decided to get a team together.”
The team aim to raise £500 for the charity, but are also walking in memory of Fran’s late grandfather, Aldo Chiappe, who recently passed away and who lived with dementia.
Fran said: “It’s lovely that the team wanted to do this in memory of my dear ‘Nonno’.Danielle and I recently went to my grandfather’s hometown of Lavagna in Italy and did a warm up walk in the nearby hills. It is lovely to be able to connect the two areas and makes the challenge much more personal and inspiring.”
Many of the team’s friends and families have been affected by dementia in some way and if this first walk goes well, the team are planning further challenges to raise more money and make a bigger difference.
Head of Fundraising at Blue Skies Hospitals Fund, Kila Redfearn, said: “If it wasn’t for people like Francesca, Danielle and her friends, we wouldn’t be able to purchase special items that make a massive impact on patient care. You need some stamina to keep going for 12 hours, so we wish them all the luck in the world and keep safe.”
The Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge is this Saturday, April 28. You can donate by visiting the Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/peaceofmind1