Lisa’s Great Wall Walk Raises £6,000 for Prospect Hospice

Swindon care home manager Lisa Edwards has returned from a gruelling trek taking in the Great Wall of China to raise over £6,000 in aid of Prospect Hospice who cared for her late sister, Lynsey.

Lisa was part of a 22-strong team that took on the challenge, raising £73,000 for the Wroughton hospice, with final fundraising and gift aid set to boost the total further.

Lisa said: “It was so much more challenging than I ever imagined but a truly fantastic experience that doesn’t seem real now when I look back on it.

“It wasn’t for the faint-hearted that’s for sure. We walked dawn to dusk through remote terrain, including areas recently devasted by floods, and along very high ledges with sheer drops either side of us.

“The whole group came from very different walks of life for the same cause, and we quickly got on to built relationships and friendships, and that was an incredible part of the whole experience that will never leave me.”

Despite the travelling, Lisa was back at on duty the next day at Edgehill Care Home in Liden, where she has worked for over 19 years – the last six as registered manager.

Residents and staff at the care home were delighted to welcome back Lisa after swapping armchairs for action and joining manager her on training walks ahead of the challenge.

Lisa’s ‘care home boot camp’ saw residents, relatives and  staff rally around her to clock up laps of the garden or cheer on from the sidelines in solidarity.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me so far, knowing I had the backing of the residents and my team at Edgehill Care Home behind me made a massive difference,” said Lisa.

“I also hugely appreciate everyone who has donated to My Just Giving page, which has already reached its £4,000 fundraising target and should make £6,000 once gift aid and a few final fundraisers are taken into account,” she added.

Lisa and her fellow trekkers followed a remote route along the wall from Gubeikou to Jinshanling and Simtai, experiencing authentic local culture along the way and packing in a bit of sight-seeing in Beijing.