Compassion Autumn Winter 2023

39 tcf.org.uk In other fundraising news Tom Fennell has raised £2295 for TCF. Here he writes about his aim to climb 7 peaks to raise funds for 5 charities dear to his heart . February 2019 was my first real experience with grief when my younger brother James died. Fast forward eighteen months and my Dad, Nan and Aunt had all passed away and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. After another major life event at then end of 2022 I decided to try and get back on track and (the more exciting) part of that was a trip to the other side of the world. I’d recently rediscovered a love of hiking and nature more generally after climbing Ben Nevis and Snowdon in March. I wanted to do more of this whilst on my travels and thought it would be an amazing opportunity to also raise some money for the charities that helped my family and I through the most difficult times we would ever face. The plan was to climb seven peaks to raise money for five charities: Camden Listening & Counselling Centre, Mind, Samaritans, The Canal & River Trust and of course, TCF. My trip began in New Orleans visiting family on my dad’s side before my first hike, Guadalupe Peak in Texas. I then travelled through New Mexico to reach Colorado where I climbed Mount Elbert. This was the toughest thing physically that I have ever tackled but boasted some of the most incredible views I had ever seen in my life. I then travelled through to Utah and California to visit more friends and family before flying to Hawaii where I climbed Mount Ka'ala. The trip continued in New Zealand where I travelled North to South climbing Rainbow Mountain Rotorua, Avalanche Peak and Ben Lomond during the three weeks I spent there. If you’ve been totting up the climbs you’ll have noticed that I only managed to climb six. Unfortunately, just as I was reaching the bottom of Ben Lomond I slipped and broke my hand. I ended up missing my original flight and had to stay in Queenstown an extra four days (what a shame!). This of course meant I couldn’t complete all seven which I was gutted about, and I was advised not to attempt a seventh with a cast on, which in hindsight, was the sensible move. I had the most incredible time and manged to raise, at time of writing, £2,295 for my five charities. I plan to climb the last of the “Three Peaks of the UK”, Scafell Pike, on the weekend of August 12th. Whilst it wasn’t how I foresaw this fundraising attempt ending there’s something poetic about it finishing in my home country. I wanted to finish by expressing my most sincere gratitude to all five of the charities for a multitude of reasons, but most importantly CLCC and TCF. Without the counsellor I saw around the time James died I have no idea where I’d be right now. And as for TCF, they have done so much for my Mum that I can’t really put into words how much their help and support has meant. Tom Fennell at Scarfell Pike Postscript: Tom completed his 7th Peak… Scarfell Pike in gale force winds and torrential rain, in August, in typical UK fashion! FUNDRAISING ROUND-UP