Scafell Pike training weekend

With a 0530 start from Lisa’s parents, we set off for Wasdale Head at the foot of Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England.  After a long drive parallel to the beautiful Wasdale Lake (Lisa still half asleep – “it’s like the set of Postman Pat” ...(?????).

After the mandatory pre event cup of tea at the camp site café we set off to find the rest of the group.  After wandering around the car park looking lost, we stumbled across four of the group doing the same.

We decided we were in the wrong car park and that we should be adventurous and explore the “second” car park – no sign of anyone else.  Hmmm.

We stopped a man in a van and found out there was another car park about a mile away and set off to see if we could find where we were supposed to be.  However Lisa was slightly distracted by a male Three Peaks team changing in the second car park and was quite happy to stay where she was.

After crossing a river on stepping stones (in Total Wipeout style) and walking across a dry river bed, on the horizon there was a group of trekkers hovering impatiently – that must be them then!  In keeping with all our fundraising and training activities so far…we arrived late to the event. 

Once we had established everyone was present and correct, the 16 strong team set off for the summit. The weather couldn’t be better and everyone enjoyed the climb.  Everyone was fantastic and we can’t wait to take on the big adventure together, all the while raising money for a fantastic cause.

Everyone made it to the summit in good spirits.  After a quick break for lunch and time for some team photos (some of which I’m sure will be featured on the cover of “Men’s Health”) and shots of the amazing view we started our decent … back to the pub of course. Back at the foot of the mountain we had another tour of the three car parks (unfortunately the calibre of naked men had dropped somewhat).


Everyone had a great day, especially the six of us whose specialised subject is now the car parks of Wasdale Head.

At the Summit

Here's the route we took, which we covered in about 5.5 hours including a stop for lunch at the summit.

The future cover of Men's Health (apparantly)

Why Marie Curie Cancer Care?

The support Marie Curie Cancer Care received in 2010 meant that more than 31,000 people last year were given the choice of where and how to spend their final days. 

 

Nursing

Marie Curie has 2,000 nurses in the UK and last year they worked for 1,200,000 hours caring for terminally ill patients, including half of all cancer patients who die at home.

The Marie Curie Nursing Service helps people who are approaching the end of their lives to remain at home if they wish to, through its nationwide network of Marie Curie Nurses who provide nursing care at home.

They cover 95% of the UK and the service is free to the people we care for, their families and carers.

Their core service is one-to-one overnight nursing from a Registered Nurse or Senior Healthcare Assistant in a patient’s home, usually for eight or nine hours.  They also run a rapid response service in which nurses go in to a patient’s home at short notice in a crisis. 

Hospices

Marie Curie have 9 hospices and are the biggest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

Marie Curie Hospices are vibrant, homely places offering a range of different activities and services to help people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses achieve the best possible quality of life. Care is free to patients and families.

The hospices have a full team of professionals including specialist nurses and doctors,  physiotherapists, occupational therapists, complementary therapists, socail workers and a chaplaincy service.

Patients can visit for a few hours, attend a specific clinic, or have a full programme of care tailored to their individual needs. Hospice staff will help manage symptoms and enhance feelings of wellbeing. Patients can meet other people, share experiences, find the information they need and take part in a range of activities.

Research and Development

Marie Curie Cancer Care is committed to increasing our knowledge and understanding of ways to improve the care that patients receive at the end of life.

We continue to support and develop the work of our three Palliative Care Research Facilities, alongside supporting palliative and end of life care research undertaken by our own staff and researchers around the UK.

We will seek to engage the very best researchers across the UK to work on a range of questions about how to care for patients with cancer and other life-limiting conditions.

Please keep helping Marie Curie Cancer Care to help even more people. Thank you.

Hayes Carnival 2011

Fundraising with the London 2012 Olympic Mascots

Mount Kilimanjaro - From Space ....

'Stunning inequities' in end-of-life care

Independent review, led by the the chief executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care, Thomas Hughes-Hallett, describes huge variations in the quality of end-of-life services.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13975341