A borough funeral director takes on a 100km Sahara trek for Wigan and Leigh Hospice
Wigan borough undertaker Paul Sargent is halfway to his £10k charity target, with just weeks to go before he sets off across the Moroccan desert
A Wigan borough funeral director is swapping the high street for the sand dunes next month, walking 100km across the Sahara Desert to raise money for Wigan and Leigh Hospice.
Paul Sargent, funeral director at Sankey and Monks in Leigh, will brave searing heat as he treks through the Moroccan Sahara from November 4 to 9.
He has set himself a goal of raising £10,000 for the charity and, after months of hard work, has already raised £5,000 of it.
Now he is asking the people of Leigh and Wigan to help him reach the fund-raising finish line.
The challenge will push Paul well outside his comfort zone.
He will walk for five days through endless sand dunes, with daytime temperatures reaching 45°C and nights dropping as low as -10°C.
Guided by traditional Berber guides, he will climb the 100m Chigaga Dunes to watch the sun rise over the desert.
Paul said: “In my job, I meet families at the hardest moment of their lives, just after someone they love has died.
“So many of them tell me how much the hospice meant to them, and how it helped their loved one have a peaceful, dignified death.
“This is my way of saying thank you.
“I’m not going to pretend it’ll be easy. The heat, the cold and the miles will test me physically and mentally.
“But that’s nothing compared to what the hospice team does every single day.
“I’m halfway there, and with three weeks to go, every donation, however small, really will make a difference.”
Paul has paid for the trip himself, with Sankey and Monks covering his £199 entry fee and giving him time off to take on the challenge.
That means every penny donated goes straight to Wigan and Leigh Hospice.
The hospice says just over one third of the funding it needs comes from the NHS and that around £13,000 must be raised from the local community every day to keep its services running.
To support Paul, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-sargent-desert-trek?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL or pop into Sankey and Monks at 5/7 Hope Street, Leigh, Greater Manchester, WN7 1AQ.