CHARITY trekkers will depart this weekend for a five-day hike through the Jordanian desert to raise funds for a Worcester-based hospice.

On Sunday, a group of 16 fundraisers will fly to Jordan to embark on their trek to the world-famous archaeological site and historic city Petra.

At the same time, a team of six will embark on a virtual version of the challenge in Wales, taking on an eight-day, 136-mile walk along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.

The Worcestershire trekkers are raising funds for St Richard’s Hospice with their collective fundraising total currently at £39,363 after costs.

Sofia Gunster, events and community fundraising lead, is part of the group setting off to Jordan this weekend.

“This is set to be an incredible experience and one I’m especially looking forward to as part of such a great group,” said Sofia.

“The team has been working hard to train for this challenge alongside raising a truly fantastic amount to help us continue funding our care for patients and families.”

The route begins in Wadi Feynan and finishes at Petra with the group returning to the UK on Monday, March 25.

The team will walk between six and eight hours for five consecutive days through stony, desert landscape, camping each night.

It includes three members of the hospice’s clinical teams - Julie Reece, head of community nursing, Nicci Lane, in-patient unit staff nurse, and Helen Gander, in-patient unit senior staff nurse.

They are joined by two doctors who live near Crowle - Dr Fiona Partridge, a GP in Astwood Bank, and her husband Dr Ian Gee, a consultant at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Fiona said: “I decided to sign up as hospices do such a fantastic job for patients and families affected by cancer and not just end of life care.

“They really support my work with these patients as a GP.

“But not many people realise less than 25 per cent of their funding comes from the NHS and the rest from fundraising so if I can promote them and raise some money all good.

“Plus it gave me an incentive to get a bit more active and I get the chance to visit Petra.

“I convinced my husband to sign up too.

“We have joined a group of 15 and have been fundraising as individuals and collectively for the last year from bag packs to charity bake sales.

“My colleagues have been supporting my regular sweepstakes on sporting events and even on delivery date and weight of a baby expected by one of the staff.

“Patients have been overwhelmingly supportive.

“We’ve just got to do the walk. Ian and I have raised £5,500 so far.”

Their JustGiving page is at www.justgiving.com/team/teamgee.

St Richard’s is also planning a Trek the Alps trip for 2025 which will offer supporters the chance to hike through three countries in three days.

To find out about the hospice’s other events, including Trek the Alps, visit www.strichards.org.uk/events.

The hospice is an independent charity caring for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment to their last days and supporting those important to them.

Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,100 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.

It costs £10.28m to run the hospice (22/23 audited accounts) which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.

St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.

For more information about the hospice, visit www.strichards.org.uk.