Fozia Noreen and Simon Whitby prepare to climb Ben Nevis for Help the Hospices

Fozia Noreen, from Rochdale, and Simon Whitby, also from Rochdale, will be alomgst employees from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks pulling on their hiking boots on 5 September for a ‘Trek the Ben’ fundraising climb in support of Help the Hospices – the UK’s leading charity for hospice care.

A total of 93 participants will take part in the challenge to climb Ben Nevis - the highest point on the British Isles, at 1,343m above sea level. The climb will take up to eight hours and see the group tackling rough terrain, steep climbs, snowy ground and finally crossing the boulder field to the summit cairn.

Fozia said: “It’s great to be setting off to climb Ben Nevis alongside my colleagues for the benefit of an extremely worthwhile cause.

“I have no doubt it will be a fantastic experience and I’m hoping to raise much needed funds for Help the Hospices at the same time. The Bank is supporting us by match funding every penny raised which will be a great motivation when the climb becomes physically challenging.”

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have been working in partnership with Help the Hospices for seven years raising more than £3.5million for hospice care to date. Their combined efforts from the ‘Trek the Ben’ initiative are expected to raise over £60,000 for Help the Hospices after the Banks match fund their employees’ fundraising donations.

The ‘Trek the Ben’ initiative is the latest phase in Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks’ award-nominated partnership with Help the Hospices, supporting people with terminal or life-limiting conditions and helping them to live as well as they can to the end of their lives. The £3.5million raised so far has supported nearly 100 hospices around the UK in their vital work; in addition employees from the banks have given over 31,000 volunteering hours to their local hospices.