A DARING dozen raised �13,000 for charity after trekking across the Himalayas. The group of 12 women climbed to the dizzy heights of 13,000ft (4,000m) in their gruelling five-day challenge. Maureen Donnison, a retired teacher of Oaklands, Welwyn, thanked

A DARING dozen raised �13,000 for charity after trekking across the Himalayas.

The group of 12 women climbed to the dizzy heights of 13,000ft (4,000m) in their gruelling five-day challenge.

Maureen Donnison, a retired teacher of Oaklands, Welwyn, thanked our readers for their generosity, after a story appeared in the WHT in the run-up to the trek.

She said: "A large part of the money raised was donated by regular readers of the WHT.

"We would like to say a massive thank you to them all and can't thank people enough for their kindness and generosity.

"They really have made a difference to the lives of so many Nepalese children."

The money raised will go towards the opening of a health centre in Kathmandu, Nepal, where children with a rare form of anaemia will get essential treatment and care.

The women all aged between 40 and 60, also include Jane Newbold, Goska Lloyd and Ros Wilkins, all of Welwyn, Suzie Dickson of Knebworth, and Joanna Coker, who works as a nurse at QE2 Hospital.

The rest of the group are Lin Curtis, Steph Johnson and Shirley Nicholl, who are all from elsewhere in Hertfordshire, Chris Atkinson and Janet Harford, from Yorkshire, and Canadian woman Maria Jacot.

The intrepid women are not resting for long, with the 12 intending to continue their fund-raising attempts next year.

They now hope to raise money for a deprived junior school in Nepal for seven to nine-year-olds by trekking in Canada and northern Italy.