Supporters fundraising stories

Lorna’s Great Wall of China trek

In October 2026, Lorna will be taking on the adventure of a lifetime as she treks the Great Wall of China in memory of her dad, who died in 2019 from prostate cancer.

Name: Lorna
Event: The Great Wall of China trek
Venues: China!

“I’m completely stepping out of my comfort zone to do this amazing trek in memory of my Dad,” Lorna said. “He supported Katharine House Hospice through his volunteering with Raynet, the Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network. He often helped at Katharine House events, especially the Midnight Walk. Later, when he became ill, he received support from the hospice team at home.”

“The hospice meant a lot to him, and it means a lot to us as a family,” she added.

Walking the Great Wall of China has always been on Lorna’s bucket list, and it is also somewhere her dad had dreamed of visiting. “The week I’ll be trekking marks seven years since Dad died,” she said. “It’s always a strange and emotional time, but being in China, on the Great Wall, a place he always wanted to see, will be a really special way to remember him.”

Lorna has already started her fundraising with bake sales and plans to hold more creative events, including selling handmade items at local school fairs. She has also been working hard on her fitness to get ready for the trek.

“I need to raise £4,320 to take part. So far, I’ve raised £1,600 so there are plenty more cakes to bake. I’m so grateful for every donation that supports Katharine House and helps me reach my target.”

For Lorna, this challenge is about more than raising money. “It’s also about showing my children that if you really set your mind to something, you can do it,” she said. “This trek is a way to keep a promise to myself and my Dad, to do something we both dreamed of, while helping the hospice that meant so much to him.”

If you’ve been inspired by Lorna, you can take on the Great Wall of China Trek for Katharine House Hospice too. Our friendly fundraising team are full of fantastic ideas to help you hit your target and will be with you every step of the way.

We’re here to help Lorna and all those fundraisers like her

If you’d like to join the Great Wall of China Trek but are worried about raising a large amount of money, Claire (a palliative care nurse at the hospice) and Carley (from our fundraising team) recently took on their own challenges of a lifetime and have shared some top tips for breaking down a large target into smaller chunks on the following two short videos.