Publication Date: 13-10-2022 09:00
Kilimanjaro climb helps Bellway sales advisor hit fundraising heights
A Bellway sales advisor has raised more than £6,000 for charity after reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Rachael Spencer, 46, who works at Bellway’s Mead Fields development in Weston-super-Mare, completed the challenge on Friday 23 September as part of a week-long expedition to the highest peak in Africa. The climb followed her ascent of Ben Nevis in June, which formed the warm-up for the event.
She raised £2,000 for Cancer Research UK, which Bellway then double matched to boost her fundraising total to £6,000. Bellway is aiming to raise £3 million for the charity by the end of 2023 as part of its ‘3 for 23’ campaign.
For Rachael, the climb also had a personal connection, as her sister Sharon – who has since made a full recovery – was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021.
Rachael, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, said: “The whole way I was thinking to myself that I just had to get to the top. There was never a moment that I thought that I was not going to do it. I have received so much support from family and friends, but also from Bellway, who double matched the money raised and offered their support too. Everyone has been so generous, so I had a real desire to do it not only for myself, but for them too, and for all of those affected by cancer.”
Rachael became involved in the gruelling challenge through her cousin who was already planning to take part in the climb.
Rachael said: “The decision to take on this challenge was something of a happy accident. After someone dropped out from the climbing group, I was asked if I wanted to step in and take their place.
“I have never really been the type to go out on hikes on the weekends, but when I was faced with this challenge, I was determined to make the most of it.”
Rachael, alongside her climbing group of 16 others, began the climb of the 19,000ft mountain on the afternoon of Saturday 17 September, and found the extreme conditions incredibly difficult. The group stopped at various camps along the way and slept at altitude overnight to acclimatise to the extreme elevation on the summit.
Rachael said: “Aside from the constant strain on your feet and legs, just the act of getting up early every morning and dealing with sleeping in the extreme cold was a huge challenge. To make things worse, there was a huge amount of dust up there which made your nose incredibly sore. It really was the hardest thing I have ever done or ever will do.
“By the time we reached Kosovo Camp at around 16,000ft on the Thursday, with the final ascent to the summit ahead of us, temperatures had dropped to around -15c. The changes in altitude and the extreme weather did unfortunately mean that some people required assistance to get back down the mountain once we returned to camp.
“My preparation for the trip on my previous climb was absolutely vital, but nothing can prepare you for the altitude on the mountain. It can make you feel incredibly unwell and makes everything that much harder.
“It really is a profound sense of achievement to have summited the mountain. Every day is a challenge in ways you never see coming, and it is far more than just a long walk up a mountain.”
Rachel Way, Sales Manager for Bellway South West, said: “It is immensely pleasing to have supported Rachael’s incredible climbs of both Ben Nevis and Mount Kilimanjaro in the space of only four months in aid of Cancer Research UK.
“Her determination and commitment has been an inspiration to us all, and has helped us nearer to our national target of raising £3 million for the charity by the end of 2023.”
To donate to Rachael’s fundraiser for Cancer Research UK, visit her fundraising page at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/rachaels-giving-page-461.
For more information about the new homes at Mead Fields, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-west/mead-fields.
