Retired police officer treks 24 miles to raise funds for Doncaster neonatal unit

Late last year, 57-year-old David Westwood completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, raising just under £1,000.

David’s two daughters, Aimee-Lauren and Gabrielle, were born premature and cared for by the Neonatal team.

David said: “We are blessed and grateful for the NHS and especially the Neonatal Unit.”

Aimee-Lauren now works on the Neonatal Unit as a nurse.

The funds raised will support the unit with upgrading their parent facilities and introducing a dedicated bereavement space.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge is a 24-mile round trip over three mountains in the Pennine range: Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

Covering 1585m of ascent, hikers aim to finish the journey in 12 hours or less.

Beginning at 6am, David and a group of colleagues set off from Horton-In-Ribblesdale, a small village about three miles west of Pen-y-Ghent.

Standing at 694m, Pen-y-Ghent was windy, drizzly and steep, David recalled.

He said: “It was extremely taxing on the knees.”

Despite sustaining an injury two weeks prior during a rugby match, David was determined.

Carrying roughly seven litres of water added extra weight, forcing the hikers to dig deep when ascending, David explained.

Cold temperatures, wet rains and beating winds across all three mountains made it an especially challenging journey.

He said: “It was awful, never-ending, with next to no visibility and then hitting what felt like a tornado at the top.

“All I could think of was who I was doing this for. Not for myself but for those who need the most support at the start of their lives.”

David completed the challenge in 11 hours and 55 minutes.

He said: “Knowing I had raised £931 for this great cause made the first beer taste like nectar and the pain slipped away.

“As a father who has been deeply touched and fully aware of the wonderful effort this committed group do, I wanted to raise funds for a charity close to my heart.”

Michelle Clarke, Senior Sister for the Neonatal Unit, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation and the huge amount of effort put into raising it for us.

“The funds David has raised will take us a significant way to improving the facilities for parents and babies spending time on our unit during what can be a troubling and upsetting time.

“From all of us at the unit, thank you.”

David’s fundraiser is still open and you can contribute here.