I am a 45 year old artist living and working in Selby, North Yorkshire. I also work for the town council as a caretaker. I am undertaking the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on August 8 in aid of Humane Society International. This charity has been helping wildlife in Australia during and in the aftermath of the horrific bushfires which we all witnessed through news and social media.
Fundraising pageAs the search and rescue mission for wildlife survivors of Australia’s Kangaroo Island bushfires continues, the charity says the number of animals needing to be taken into care is increasing as starvation and dehydration start to hit. After seeing posts from the charity on social media appealing for help, I decided I would set myself a challenge to raise £1,000 to assist their work. I have long been a campaigner for wildlife and environmental causes and so this one appealed. The Yorkshire Three Peaks has been on my bucket list too amongst many other challenges. I think we’ve all been affected by the news footage and images from Australia and the catastrophic fires that have left such devastation for all inhabitants there, particularly the wildlife. I wanted to help raise awareness and sponsorship for one of the organisations that are out there rescuing and rehabilitating surviving animal species that include koalas and kangaroos. My frustration at the lack of action to tackle climate change has also compelled me to do something. As part of their work to help the wildlife affected by the bushfires, the Humane Society International team has been building water stations in remote areas where koalas have been seen perching in inaccessibly high trees, and photographs from camera traps set by the charity show that koalas are climbing down to drink. Humane Society International has also delivered building materials to the island to allow for the construction of new temporary shelters at the wildlife park triage centre to help accommodate the growing number of animals needing veterinary and longer-term care.
Charity website10 hours and 52 minutes
The Yorkshire Peaks Challenge involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, often within 12 hours.