Emma Mackenzie-Bedford, Home Manager of Henley House care home in Ipswich, will be taking on a 13-mile trek up Pen-y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons this July, in order to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society.
Emma began her fundraising journey in early 2020, however the onset of the pandemic meant that the date of the climb had to be pushed back several times. With the ongoing easing of restrictions, the big climb will finally be going ahead in July; and perhaps the extra preparation time will have helped conquer Emma’s fear of heights…
Training is in full swing, though there aren’t too many mountains to practise on in Norfolk, where Emma lives. She has been breaking in her walking boots by hiking in her spare time, and has even been getting some training in whilst working at Henley House, by taking the stairs as often as she can!
Emma explained her inspiration for the trek, saying “Having been personally affected by having a close relative live with dementia, I have seen how care and research has improved the lives of those residents that I now look after on a day-to-day basis. The COVID crisis has been particularly hard on both those with dementia and also those who used to, and are still, caring for them.”
As Home Manager for Henley House, which provides both dementia and residential care, Emma has seen first-hand the effect that dementia and Alzheimer’s can have on people’s everyday lives. To see how donations to Alzheimer’s Society positively and directly impact those living with dementia, follow this link to the charity’s ‘How your money helps’ page: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/how-your-money-helps
Emma has currently achieved 65% of her donation target of £200; however if donations continue to rise, why stop there? Emma will reach the peak of the mountain, but the fundraising target will just keep climbing!
If you are able to donate to this worthwhile cause, or even just share on social media, it would be greatly appreciated. Check out Emma’s JustGiving page here: https://bit.ly/2QnCyRx.
