A 26-year-old raised almost £3,500 for the local hospice that cared for two of his family members by climbing the highest peak in North Africa.

Jordan Darlington, from Maybank, raised £3,434.71 for Douglas Macmillan (Dougie Mac) after reaching the summit of Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.

He took on the challenge, alongside friend Harry Bailey, after Dougie Mac cared for his grandad, John and his stepmum, Tracy. 

Jordan said: "As a family, we have always been supportive of Dougie Mac – a few years ago the girls in the family completed the Moonlight Walk and raised funds.

"My grandad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and spent some time in the hospice before he died and I spent a lot of time with him, so we have seen first hand the wonderful care the hospice gives. 

"My stepmum was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and despite being given just a short time to live she managed to fight it and battled on which enabled her to see my stepsister get married and the birth of her grandson. 

"She received care at home from Dougie Mac and the nurses gave the family all the support we needed until the very end.

"When my grandad died it was quick, whereas when my stepmum died it was slower – but there was absolutely no difference in the care they both received. Dougie Mac helped massively which felt like a cushion of support to the whole family."

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Following the death of Jordan's stepmum, his stepsister Sophie also arranged a ball as a celebration of her mum's life. This event raised £10,000 for the hospice. 

"My stepmum passed away in 2023 on January 11 which is my birthday," says Jordan.

"I thought it would be nice to do something to honour her memory and so myself and Harry decided to climb Mount Toubkal. We set out from basecamp at 4am to reach the summit just in time for the sunrise. I have to admit, it was very emotional and both myself and Harry shed a few tears at the top. 

"It was a wonderful experience. It was really peaceful at the top, amazing, but it was also -18 so we didn't stay there for too long!"