Two mental health nurses from King’s Lynn successfully climbed Britain’s highest mountain on Tuesday 9th August, and have raised more than £1,000 for Sue Lambert Trust.
Lucy Baker [age 24] and Laura Salter [age 41], who work for the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust in the Crisis Resolution Team set off to climb Ben Nevis on Tuesday 9th August, and completed the 4,409 feet ascent in four hours.
They took on the challenge to raise money for Norfolk’s main charity offering support to survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence – Sue Lambert Trust.
Lucy says, “In total it took us seven and a half hours to complete, four hours to get to the top. We both feel very proud of ourselves for achieving it.
“The weather conditions when we got about two hours from the top were awful and quite scary. The wind was reaching about 60mph and due to being surrounded by cloud we could not see very far ahead, and it was extremely cold. Because of that we feel even more proud that we managed it. We are so happy that we have done this for the Sue Lambert Trust and overwhelmed with how many people have donated. It was well worth it, despite how hard it was and how much we ache now.”
As well as fundraising, Lucy and Laura said preparing for the challenge has also helped their mental wellbeing.
Laura explains; “The nature of our job can be very hard going, and during the pandemic it was particularly relentless; walking in the countryside was our way to unwind. Climbing Snowden last year gave us such a sense of achievement, so we decided to do Ben Nevis next and raise money for Sue Lambert Trust.
“Through our work, we’ve both witnessed what Sue Lambert Trust does for people, helping survivors of sexual abuse to manage and move on from their personal trauma. People can self-refer themselves and decide when they feel ready to speak out and start therapy which is incredibly empowering and important. Sue Lambert Trust’s counsellors help people to heal and make positive steps after going through unthinkable experiences. And as one of the only specialist sexual abuse support services in Norfolk for both men and women, we see in our daily work how they offer a lifeline for so many.”
Clive Evans is the Chief Executive of Sue Lambert Trust and says demand for the charity’s services sadly continues to grow, making fundraisers like this more vital than ever.
“Every week, our team of professionally qualified volunteer counsellors see over 300 people in Norfolk for one-to-one sessions, and hundreds more victims of sexual abuse access support through group sessions. Every day, we are contacted by new people, reaching out for our free therapy, but, as a charity, our resources only stretch so far. We want to be there for everyone who needs us as soon as we can and so we’re incredibly thankful to Lucy and Laura for raising an astounding amount for us.”
If you’d like to support victims of sexual abuse in Norfolk, set yourself a personal challenge and follow in Lucy and Laura’s footsteps, please contact anna@suelamberttrust.org to discuss your fundraising ideas.