Tim to hit heights in memory of dad

Tim Curle, aged 55, will tackle Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, to help raise vital funds for St Richard’s Hospice.

Mr Curle, an ex-pupil at The King’s School, is raising the money in memory of his father, who taught at the school, and received care from the original hospice before his death in 1986.

A few months ago, Mr Curle visited the new hospice in Wildwood Drive and was given a tour around the new facilities. He was very impressed and moved by all the work the staff do in the community. Climbing the mountain with Mr Curle next September will be his friend and personal trainer, Brett Durney, 21, who is raising money for Rowcroft Hospice in Devon in memory of his grandfather.

Training has included weekend hiking in the French Alps and also in Snowdonia, and Mr Curle, who now lives in Surrey, also plans to spend five days mountain climbing in Scotland.

He said: “We have organised the trip ourselves and are paying for all of the costs so that every penny we raise goes to our charities.

“We thought long and hard about who to support, but in the end it was an easy decision – in 1986 my dad died and he and my family received great care and support from what was then a fledgling St Richard’s.

“We aim to raise £1 for each of Kilimanjaro’s 19,340 feet and split the money between the two hospices.”

This year, St Richard’s Hospice is celebrating its silver anniversary, marking 25 years of providing free specialist palliative care for patients living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, as well as providing support for their families. Each year the hospice team supports more than 2,000 patients and family members in Worcestershire.

The hospice needs to raise £48 million this year to continue its work.

Next October, Laura Worrallo-Hickman, 23, from Bransford, Worcester, will also climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for the hospice.

People wishing to donate to Tim Curle’s climb should go to kili2010.co.uk/donate.htm.