12 mountains, 12 months, 1 great cause

All of us here at the Hospice are in awe of Janice Penman, our Interim Head of Community Services, who has set herself the monumental challenge of conquering 12 mountains in 12 months in aid of our charity.

Janice was inspired into action to mark 20 years of working for the Hospice, but also following a health scare last summer which she said has given her even greater empathy for what those she cares for go through after being diagnosed with a long-term or progressive illness.

Every climb she undertakes will be in celebration or memory of someone, or something special, which has inspired not only some of her friends and colleagues to join her on some of her expeditions, but also the relatives of her former patients.

In January, she completed her first climb when she scaled Moel Siabod – the highest peak in North Wales’ Moelwynion mountain range standing at 2,861ft above sea level.

“By the time I reached the top, I was wearing all of the layers from my rucksack as there was still snow and ice from the previous cold spell in December,” she said. “As I walked, I reflected on my time at Isabel Hospice. I consider myself very lucky to have worked for the same organisation for this length of time, and to be part of the growth and development of Isabel Hospice, where I have had lots of opportunities for my self-development.

“One of the best things about working for Isabel Hospice has been working with such lovely colleagues as everyone who works for this organisation is truly amazing. But the best part, without a doubt, is the patients and families that we support. Working in specialist palliative care can be emotionally challenging at times, but being able to support people at such a difficult time in their life and make a difference is such a privilege.”

Next up was February’s climb to the top of Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons, the highest peak in South Wales, standing at 2,907ft above sea level, which Janice dedicated to the administrative staff at Isabel Hospice.

“I wanted to dedicate my second climb to all our wonderful administrators,” she said. “These dedicated staff work tirelessly behind the scenes to support the clinical team and without their support and commitment we wouldn’t be able to do our job.

“I especially want to thank Karen Potter, the administrator for our Clinical Nurse Specialists and the Hospice at Home team, and Penny Fanthorpe, our Governance and SystemOne co-ordinator, as they have both been a huge support to me during my time at Isabel. And I never could have climbed up to Pen Y Fan without Penny – especially as her name is so similar to the name of the mountain!.”

For March’s climb to the summit of Cadair Idris, which lies at the southern end of Snowdonia National Park, Janice was joined by Hospice at Home nurse Rachel Wisby. While on April’s trek to the top of Mount Snowdon, she was joined by Danielle Scripps, the wife of Andrew Scripps, who Janice and her team cared for last year.

We wish Janice the best of luck as she continues her epic endeavour –and if you would like to help boost her fundraising, you can visit her JustGiving page. Scan the QR code or go to justgiving.com/page/janice-penman-2023