Clitheroe schoolboy raises over £2k taking on Yorkshire Three Peaks in honour of beloved grandmother

Together with his mother, uncle and one of Anne’s oldest walking friends, Chris, Rory scaled the heights - walking over 25 miles and successfully completing the challenge in under 12 hours, raising an impressive £2,340 for East Lancashire Hospice.

Anne was extremely active throughout her life and was very well-known at her local gym Crossfit Clitheroe, attending daily classes as well as competing in competitions. In recent years she was also awarded the title of "Second Fittest Woman in Europe" in the over-60s category at CrossFit, something her whole family were very proud of.

Rory, who at the time of Anne's diagnosis was studying for his GCSEs at Ribblesdale High School, explained the reason he had chosen to support the hospice.

“From diagnosis, the hospice provided an absolutely phenomenal level of care, company, reassurance and the opportunity to speak to someone who truly understood the difficulties and worries that Nin faced regarding living with cancer and the inevitable palliative care she would require.

"Nin loved walking and there simply would be no better way to raise money than by doing exactly that."

In the time after Anne’s diagnosis, Rory and his family were able to take two particularly special holidays with Anne and make some wonderful memories. The first, a Northern European Cruise covering amongst other places Hamburg and Rotterdam and then later in the year, the family spent Christmas at Centre Parcs, Penrith.

Rory described how Center Parcs was particularly special to the family and how they would go each year in October, something Anne had been doing for over 20 years. It was there that Anne peacefully passed away on Boxing Day having been walking right up until Christmas Eve.

Rory, who is set to attend Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Sixth-Form to study A-levlels, originally set himself a fundraising target of £500, but has to date achieved an incredible £2,340 which will go a long way to ensuring others will be able to receive the level of support that Rory’s grandmother was able to experience.

Sharon Crymble, Income Generation and Marketing Lead for East Lancashire Hospice, said: “In order to continue to provide care, the hospice require over £10,000 of funding per day and thanks to the amazing efforts of Rory, his mother, uncle and Chris, the hospice will receive a significant boost which will help to ensure that we can continue to provide care, compassion and support in the hospice and out in the community."

She continued: “On behalf of everyone at ELH, we would like to thank Rory, his mother, uncle and Chris for their incredible achievement."