Morocco charity trek hit by quake

A GROUP of people from the Henley area have had to cancel a fundraising trek in Morocco following the earthquake tragedy.

They were due to climb 4,167m Mount Toubkal on Tuesday in aid of the Chiltern Centre, a Henley charity which supports young adults with learning disabilities.

The trip has been postponed following the powerful earthquake in the High Atlas mountain range, which has killed at least 2,800 people and injured 2,500 and flattened historical buildings and villages.

The trekkers include Lynne Lambourne, an environmental campaigner and interior designer from Peppard, Ben Ansell, also from Peppard, Marco Barcella, Matt Mackinnon and Jenny Williamson, from Henley, Marc Gross, from Caversham, Nick Steel, from Wargrave, and Jane Ainslie, from Wokingham.

Ms Lambourne said she was practically in tears when she found out she couldn’t go but is determined to reschedule.

She said: “The region has been so badly affected and it is just not safe, especially as the epicentre is so close to Toubkal. The sherpas and community out there are affected. Three British people currently on a trek are missing. It is all a bit close to home. Thank God we were not there this week.”

Ms Lambourne said she was “really disappointed” to have to postpone.

“You hype yourself up for something and it’s only when it’s taken away that you realise how much you were looking forward to it,” she said.

“I had done so many hours of training that I’ve now got to keep it up until June. I did 22km on Saturday and was feeling good about it. Now at least I can rest a bit.

“We were talking about it all weekend and we agreed not to cancel and hopefully it will be all open again by June. We are keen on going back because they rely on us going for their livelihoods.”

To prepare for the challenge, Ms Lambourne has been walking, swimming and getting treatment for a heel problem.

She said: “I have been helped a lot by Physiolistic. I attend a local gym, ADVHQ, and do yoga and swimming. I have found swimming for my Achilles heel has been really good.

“I eat healthily anyway and I have been walking like Forrest Gump all over the country. The training has given me a real love for walking. I walked for nine hours on Saturday with my friends. It is lovely to be in nature and costs no money except a good pair of boots which I bought second-hand.

“When we go out there, we want to support the sherpas and promote that it’s okay to go to Morocco again and get on with our challenge — getting up that mountain.”

She has raised almost £3,000 so far, including £500 from an auction held at the Unicorn Pub in Peppard Common on September 1.

Ms Lambourne said: “I would like to thank all the kind companies who put community at the heart of what they do and were only too happy to help support me and my mission to raise as much money as possible for a worthy cause.

“The Unicorn was so supportive, letting me use the marquee to host my event and the super talented Adam Isaac agreed to give up some of his time to come and play us some songs which really made the night very special.

“Everybody knows that I am a massive advocate for sustainability but sustainability is not just about not using single-use plastic, it’s about communities coming together to support each other, it’s about kind companies valuing their customers and wanting to help make a difference.

“I can’t thank the people and companies who have supported me enough, you are so appreciated. “

To support Ms Lambourne, visit her JustGiving page at https://tinyurl.
com/258bjsze