Duo’s Great Wall trek in grandmother’s memory

A young Thetford man is travelling halfway round the world for a charity trek in memory of his grandmother.

Alex Unsworth, 20, will be walking part of the Great Wall of China to raise money for St Nicholas Hospice Care, who nursed his grandmother Mary Vogeler through the last years of her life before she passed away in August at the age of 81.

He will be tackling the ten-day trek next September with friend Jess Day, 18, from Litle Yeldham. Between them, they are hoping to raise at least £6,000 for the charity.

Alex said: “The work the hospice’s nurses and doctors do, the facilities they have, and the dignity shown and happiness created while being there in such a terrible time, especially for me and my family, was amazing.

“With everything that had happened, something clicked and I just decided I wasn’t going to wait around anymore.

“I didn’t realise the hospice was all charity funded and I wanted to do something to raise money for them.

“It’s a high target, but I like to push myself in anything I do. I thought at the start, I’m going to try as hard as I can.”

The trek, organised by Action Challenge, will see Alex and Jess walk up to 35km a day with local guides and a medical team, primarily on parts of the wall not frequented by tourists.

Alex, who works at Centre Parcs in Elveden, said: “I’ve wanted to go travelling to China for years. For most of the trek we will be the only ones on the wall, you are that far into the wilderness.

“We’ve never done anything like this before, we’re not even really gym-goers, but I think the adrenalin and excitement of doing something for the charity, and also in memory of my nan, will get us through it.”

To help reach his fund-raising target, artist Alex is selling some of his artworks and currently has an exhibition running in Norwich. To donate to Alex, see Alex’s China Trek on Facebook.