More Than £56,000 Raised For Mountbatten After Epic Lapland Husky Challenge

A group of adventurous Mountbatten Isle of Wight supporters have raised more than £56,000 after completing a gruelling husky sled challenge through the Arctic wilderness of Sweden.

A total of £56,270.97 was revealed at a recent thank you evening following the charity’s first ever Lapland Husky Trail Challenge.

Participants travelled 240 kilometres through snowy conditions in the Arctic Circle, guided by experts from Global Adventure Challenges.

The week-long expedition began in Kiruna in March and finished at Sweden’s world-famous Ice Hotel.

Along the way, the group travelled by husky-pulled sleds and camped beneath the Northern Lights while facing freezing temperatures and deep snow.

The money raised will help fund Mountbatten’s end-of-life care services on the Isle of Wight, with around 85 per cent of care delivered in people’s homes, alongside inpatient and day services in Newport.

Mountbatten community fundraiser Harri McNeil praised the efforts of those taking part.

She said:

“Travelling through Sweden’s Arctic wilderness was no easy challenge.

“Our fundraisers faced freezing temperatures, the challenges – and joy – of looking after their huskies, snowdrifts up to their necks and the physical demands of being pulled on sleds.

“They earned every single penny of the incredible amount raised for Mountbatten Isle of Wight.”

Mountbatten says it supports around 70 per cent of all deaths on the Isle of Wight, compared to a national hospice average of around 30 per cent.

More information about the challenge can be found via Mountbatten Isle of Wight

A video from the challenge is available on YouTube