Members of #teamqueenscourt take on intense Wadi Rum Desert Challenge

Community | 15 September 2022

Two amazing members of #teamqueenscourt are taking on the ‘Wadi Rum Desert Trek Challenge’ to raise funds for Queenscourt Hospice this November.

Doctor Shorna Warren, Senior Speciality Doctor in Palliative Medicine and Kristina Ackers, Ward Sister of the In-Patient Unit have both chosen to self-fund this intense challenge which will see them trekking from Petra in Jordan, through the Wadi Rum desert.

The pair will be walking up to eight hours per day, for six consecutive days in temperatures as high as 35 degrees, passing through sand dunes, rocky corridors, deep canyons and stone stairs. They will be foregoing every day luxuries choosing to sleep in tents at night alongside desert scorpions, vipers and other critters!

Hospice income struggled through the Covid pandemic with many of our usual fundraising events cancelled. Queenscourt recieves less than 20% of the funds needed from NHS sources and the rest is from charitable contributions. Keeping Queenscourt in service costs £444 an hour or almost £4m per year. This funding, last year enabled Queenscourt to support 1900 patients and their loved ones.

Kristina’s role as Ward Sister is to lead and work alongside the dedicated team of specialist nursing staff, who provide care to the in-patients, their families and those important to them. She said: “The work this team puts in to provide the care, support and management of patients needs is incredible.

“My father-in-law was cared for by #teamqueenscourt. The care was perfect at the time when he and the family needed it most. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this team.”

As Senior Speciality Doctor, Shorna’s role entails providing medical care to palliative patients including the inpatients, outpatients, hospital (Southport and Ormskirk hospitals) and the community of Southport, Formby and West Lancs. She also teaches in the Terence Burgess Education Centre at Queenscourt, which involves teaching various health professionals a range of courses including symptom control, advanced communication skills and spirituality.

Shorna said: “I joined #teamqueenscourt because I have always felt a passion for helping patients living with life limiting disease achieve their best possible quality of life. I love working as part of a team who also share this passion and truly want to make a difference for people. I feel very proud of the work we do – I couldn’t imagine myself working anywhere else.”

The pair has already smashed their fundraising target of £1,500 and so far has raised nearly £4,000!  Any contribution, no matter how small, is hugely appreciated. All money raised will go towards the provision of care to patients.

If you would like to donate, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/queenscourtwadirum or contact our friendly fundraising team on fundraising@queenscourt.org.uk