A group of 14 kind-hearted people have raised more than £66,000 for an Ulverston charity.

St Mary’s Hospice was over the moon to find out that the team who trekked to Everest Base Camp earlier this year had managed to raise a total of £66,720.13. This is the largest amount ever raised from a hospice-led event.

During the two week long trek, the walkers were guided by Matt Le Voi from LMG Treks and Expeditions who guided the team through the beautiful forests, Sherpa villages, glacial moraines, and foothills before reaching Everest Base Camp.

During an emotional event held last night (May 29), the walkers found out exactly how much they raised. St Mary’s host a myriad of events and the hospice are so proud of the community that rally behind them and support them every year.

In April the walkers set off on their journey and were given a target of raising £2,500 each but they all went above and beyond this. Without people like those that fundraise for the hospice, St Mary’s wouldn’t be able to provide the outstanding care they do.

The Ulverston hospice, that cares for people with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families, only gets about one fifth of its funding from the Government meaning that they rely on people like Matt and the group of walkers to raise funds to keep them going.

Putting this into perspective, it means that 8 out of 10 patients that St Mary’s see are cared for through funds raised in the community. Events and Challenges Manager, Mel Dixon, couldn’t hide her excitement as she waited to tell the team how much they had raised.

She said: “I’m absolutely blown away by the amount the walkers raised. We host a lot of events at St Mary’s Hospice but the amount these guys managed to raise is phenomenal. I remember finding out the grand total and just sitting there thinking wow.

“It’s the kindness, dedication and determination of people like these in our community that help us continue the vital work we do. We’ve raised a lot of money over the years, and I never expected one event, with just 14 people, to raise this amount of money.

“It just shows us how important we are to our community and how important they are to us. Each and every person that took on the Everest Base Camp trip deserves a huge well done.”

Matt added: “As an expedition leader, it’s incredibly rewarding taking people to stunning locations around the world, helping them achieve something awesome, often outside of their pre-conceived capabilities.

“The privilege of hosting such an expedition is enhanced when you know funds are being raised for a worthy cause like St Mary’s. A big well done from me to all the team, and their supporters.”