Sunderland care worker treks Himalayas for charity

A palliative care worker has scaled the heights to raise cash for charity.
Team of trekkers celebrate their efforts for Marie Curie.Team of trekkers celebrate their efforts for Marie Curie.
Team of trekkers celebrate their efforts for Marie Curie.

Hayley Waltenburg, from Sunderland, managed to raise almost £5,000 by taking part in a Himalayan trek for Marie Curie.

Hayley, who works as a senior healthcare assitant with the charity’s rapid response team in Durham, knows first hand how valuable funding is for them.

Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.
Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.
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The 27-year-old, a former pupil at Grindon Hall Christian School, said the ten day trek was a massive challenge, but well worth it.

Hayley, who has worked for the charity for five years, said she was initially looking for something on a smaller scale to raise cash for the charity.

She said: “I wanted to do something personally for such a great charity.

“I was looking through the website for fundraising ideas and saw the hike. With the click of a button and thinking about it for ten minutes, I signed myself up to trekking the Indian Himalayas for 10 days, having to raise a minimum of £3,450.

Feeling on top of the world - Hayley Waltenberg during her charity challenge.Feeling on top of the world - Hayley Waltenberg during her charity challenge.
Feeling on top of the world - Hayley Waltenberg during her charity challenge.
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“Five months from signing up for this, I hit my target and since then have continued to raise money while training for the event.”

Hayley was among a group of 24 people who took on the challenge earlier this month and together they have raised around £90,000 for Marie Curie.

She said: “I knew it was going to be hard, so I did a lot of training beforehand.

“It was really tough going, but we all just helped each other along the way to keep going.”

Hayley WaltenbergHayley Waltenberg
Hayley Waltenberg
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Despite the hardships along the way, Hayley, said the trek was an amazing experience.

Although Hayley says her job is demanding, she wouldn’t want to do anything else.

She said: “It is all about helping people when they need it the most.

“I see first hand what a fantastic charity Marie Curie is, which is why I wanted to do something to raise money for it.”

Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.
Hayley Waltenberg flying the flag for Marie Curie.
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The care worker also thanked everyone who supported her during the challenge.

Tonight, Hayley will be holding a fundraising night at Bede Lodge Social Club in Durham to help top up the amount she has raised.

Anyone who would like to make a donation should visit Hayley’s fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/Hayley-Meldrum1?utm_id=121.