Our girls always go the extra mile when it comes to charity and fundraising, but during the Easter half-term break, Dani Ashwell in Year 12 completed no less than 268 miles raising over £2,000 for Brain Tumour Research, which is an incredible achievement.

Dani has always been an intrepid outdoor explorer and has already taken part in several other charity initiatives with the school including walking the West Highland Way and cycling from London to Paris. This particular endeavour was an individual effort with a poignant edge as Dani was raising money for Brain Tumour Research after losing her father to a glioblastoma multiforme nearly eleven years ago. In an interview with local press, Dani said: “My dad did the Pennine Way in quarters when he was younger, so I am following in his footsteps.”

The Pennine Way is a 268 mile walk stretching from Kirk Yetholm in Scotland to Edale in Derbyshire through some of the finest upland walking in England, and Dani’s journey was to take her around 12 days covering 22 miles or so each day. The weather was not particularly spring like and Dani had to endure some pretty awful conditions including 3 foot snow drifts, rain and wind, and vast amounts of mud, but this did not deter her. With her mum travelling in support in the comfort of a motor home, Dani completed her amazing journey and has raised over £2,000 already for Brain Tumour Research through her justgiving page – and you can still contribute here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dani-ashwell04 Brain Tumour Research only receives 1% of Cancer Research’s overall funding, so Dani’s contribution is pretty spectacular and much needed. On return from her challenge, Dani commented:

“Walking 268 miles is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life and I believe that my dad would be so proud. One thing that made it even better was the fact that I raised over £2, 000 for Brain Tumour Research which is a charity that means a lot to myself and my family. Doing something that I loved whilst making a difference to other people’s lives made the challenge even more for fulfilling. I hope that my achievements will also inspire other young people that if you put your mind to a difficult challenge, you’ll be able to complete it.”

We’re very proud of Dani, giving up her Easter holiday break to take part in such a difficult and arduous fundraising pursuit, and we really hope she is looking forward to further charity adventures when she goes on the Costa Rica trip in July. Well done Dani – you really are an inspiration!