The managing director of British Offsite has completed a 110km ski expedition to the South Pole, raising more than £113,000 for St Clare Hospice.
Shaun Weston (main picture) undertook the nine-day challenge across the Antarctic ice cap in temperatures as low as -35°C, hauling his own equipment and burning up to 8,000 calories per day.
The challenge formed part of an 18-month fundraising campaign supported by the wider Weston Group, with proceeds helping to fund specialist end-of-life care for families in Essex.
St Clare Hospice, which relies heavily on charitable donations, receives only around 30% of its funding from government sources. The funds raised are expected to cover more than 500 nights of care for patients being supported at home.
ENDURANCE CHALLENGE
Weston’s South Pole trek marked the culmination of a series of fundraising efforts, including endurance challenges, charity events and physical training programmes designed to prepare for extreme conditions.
He says: “Completing the journey to the South Pole has been a real bucket list achievement for me, and to have done it while raising such vital funds for St Clare Hospice makes it even more meaningful.
“It was an immense physical and mental challenge but knowing that the funds raised will directly support such an important local charity kept me focused throughout.”
He adds: “I chose to support St Clare Hospice because of the long-standing relationship it has with Weston Homes and the personal impact it has had on people within our wider business community.
“Hospices are the fourth emergency service, they provide a vital and compassionate part of our healthcare system, supporting individuals and families at the most difficult time in their lives.
“Yet they remain significantly underfunded and often underappreciated for the role they play. If this expedition can help raise awareness as well as funds, then it has been more than worthwhile”.
BLOWN AWAY
Rosie Knowles, Deputy CEO of St Clare Hospice, says: “Shaun has truly blown us all away over the past year with the scale of his commitment, not only to this extraordinary South Pole expedition but to the many months of training and fundraising that led up to it.
“From running laps around us dressed as a penguin with a boombox on his back during the Penguin Icy Walk, to keeping our staff updated of his progress from one of the most remote places on earth, he has inspired everyone at the hospice every step of the way.”
PHONOMENAL ACHIEVEMENT
And she adds: “To take on such an immense physical and mental challenge and raise more than £113,000 so far is nothing short of phenomenal. Fundraising of this scale makes a real and lasting difference to the patients and families we care for every day.
“As a charity, we rely heavily on the generosity and determination of supporters like Shaun to ensure we can continue providing compassionate, specialist care, free of charge to our local community. We are incredibly proud to have had him flying the flag for St Clare Hospice at the South Pole.”
