Compassionate team hits new heights with Kilimanjaro climb for Sheffield Children's Hospital

The compassionate group - many of whom work at the hospital – climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania recently, in an effort to raise as much money as possible for The Children's Hospital Charity.

The Kilimanjaro trek took seven days and featured climbs of over 1,000m, taking in difficult altitudes as well as tricky climates. The group was exposed to extreme elements, testing the group’s resilience with spells of hail and snow.

Cheryl Davidson, who organised the event for The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “From start to finish, the trek was a difficult experience for everyone, but we thought of the amazing patients at our hospital and what they go through every day. They were the motivation when times were tough.”

The summit trek was the most demanding part of the trip, involving more than nine hours of hiking in freezing temperatures throughout the night. Despite the challenging conditions, they reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro during the early hours of September 26, having raised over £100,000.

Another team member, Scott, said: “Summit night was by far the hardest part but knowing the difference we were making for young patients at the hospital kept us all going. Reaching the top together is an experience I’ll never forget.”

After they summitted th mountain, the team descended for 36 hours, rapidly dropping altitude levels until they reached the base.

Another climber, Rachel Bearpark, who is a health visitor for Sheffield Children’s Hospital, added: “We only spent ten days together, but we’ve become one big family. You eat, cry and laugh together. We couldn’t have asked for a better team to share the experience with, all the hard work has been absolutely worth it.”

The money will go towards the Build a Better Future appeal and new on-site Helipad.