Derwent Hill helped me to find myself and what I loved doing and I want to give other the children the same chance says retired GP after 88 mile run

Located on the outskirts of Keswick, Derwent Hill is owned by Sunderland City Council and operated by Together for Children and will be an integral part of the childhood memories of many of our readers who got to experience the beauty of the Lake District on a school visit.

One of those was Julie who first visited Derwent Hill over 40 years ago and cites her experiences at the centre as pivotal to her lifelong passion for the great outdoors and giving her the confidence to become a successful GP, champion fell runner, published author and accomplished playwright and actor.

After completing her mammoth trans-Pennine 88 mile run in just three days, Julie said: "For my 60th birthday, I decided to raise money for Derwent Hill and spent months training for this run, so to complete it on my 61st birthday is a real milestone for me.

“Despite the tough terrain, and the long distance testing me, I'm delighted to have completed the challenge.

“The beautiful scenery and the immeasurable support from the Derwent Hill team, my friends, family, and the local communities in Keswick and Sunderland have really kept me going.”

Julie set off from Derwent Hill in Keswick on Tuesday April 8, crossing moorland and taking pathways including the Pennine Way across Teesdale and Weardale before heading towards Chester-le-Street and following the River Wear into Sunderland to complete her challenge.

The 88 miles equates to more than three marathons.

Julie is aiming to raise £10,000 to send a class of 30 school children to the centre as a thank you to Derwent Hill for the opportunity she received at just 13 years old and to enable other families who may financially struggle to send their children on residential trips to do so.

Julie added: "A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to my cause already. I am honoured to be able to send some young people to Derwent Hill and give them the chance to experience the same activities, views and opportunities as I did.

“Many children sadly don't get to take part in such experiences due to circumstances and financial limitations, but experiences like Derwent Hill can have a profound and lasting impact on young people.

“I hope this challenge shows others how much can be achieved and that the young people I am delighted to be able to send to Derwent Hill discover something they didn’t know about themselves like I did."

Julie was supported on her run by the charity Friends of Derwent Hill who set up a JustGiving page.

Ray Ross from the Friends of Derwent Hill charity, said: "We're proud that Derwent Hill has had such a lasting impact on Julie's life for over 40 years, and honoured that she has taken on this challenge to raise money to send a group of children to the centre. Her resilience and passion are awe-inspiring, and it has been a real privilege to have her support and to watch her complete this journey.

"Derwent Hill helped Julie all those years ago, it will be an amazing legacy for the centre as well as Julie's efforts.”

Simon Marshall, Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Together for Children, added: "Running 88-miles in just three days is a brilliant achievement and I’d like to extend a huge congratulations and thank you to Julie for taking on this challenge on behalf of Derwent Hill.

“Julie’s story is a very welcome reminder about just how much of a difference Derwent Hill can make for young people and her passion and determination is inspiring. We look forward to welcoming the children she has funded to visit the centre in the coming months."

Julie is already well on her way to reaching her target, but businesses and individual people can still donate to her caused via the Friends of Derwent Hill JustGiving page.

Julie has several writing credits to her name, including Makin a Mackem, Running the Red Line, and The Dreamtime Fell Runner.