International Women's Day 2025: Celebrating our fundraisers!

International Women's Day 2025

To mark International Women's Day 2025, we’re celebrating the incredible women who have fundraised for our charity, supporting our specialist, mental health, and community services across the Mersey Care footprint.

From the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to Liverpool Cathedral abseils, skydives at 10,000 feet, Santa dashes, the National Three Peaks, and the mighty Mount Snowdon—these women have taken on incredible challenges and helped raise thousands of pounds to support people across our communities. We've also had support in other ways such as bake sales, community events and raffles and by making homemade jam! 

While we’ve highlighted the stories of just a few of these inspiring fundraisers below, they represent the many amazing women who have gone above and beyond to support us.

Thank you to every one of our incredible fundraisers—you are all part of this story! 💙 

Rachel .

In a remarkable act of resilience and giving back, Talking Therapies Clinical Team Manager, Rachel Munn, took part in our first ever Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge last year, alongside her Talking Therapies colleagues and a number of other amazing fundraisers. Her motivation was deeply personal: after surviving a heart attack at 32 weeks pregnant and experiencing a range of challenges in her recovery, she was determined to make a positive impact and give back to services that support people's mental health.

“I started off small when I first got out of hospital, I challenged myself to walk up and down the street but as I grew in confidence I started running again and getting back to longer walks,” she shared.  

“The Three Peaks Challenge was a fantastic day. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment at the end.  I did it with a wonderful group of colleagues from our Talking Therapies team and the day flew by with all the laughs and conversations we had."

Read Rachel’s fundraising story: From tiny first steps to the Yorkshire Three Peaks

Read more about the 2024 Three Peaks Challenge and the amazing fundraisers who took part.

Register for our 2025 Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

Rosie.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Rosie Kaur, successfully completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the UK's three highest peaks, Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon in just 36 hours (with a little support from her sons and a 11th hour change of plan!). As well as raising £1,445 for our charity, Rosie’s challenge encouraged her to go beyond her comfort zone and she’s hoping her story will inspire others to do the same.

 "If you put your mind to things, you really can achieve more than you believe. Now, if I hear my inner voice telling me I can't do something, I challenge it with, ‘well, yes, you can do this—you’ve just walked three mountains in a weekend'!”

Read Rosie's story: National Three Peaks Challenge

Alison and Scarlett.

Last year, mum and daughter team Scarlett and Alison Wellens took part in our Liverpool Cathedral Abseil, as a tribute to their late friend who had been supported by Mersey Care and to raise funds to support mental health services across the Trust. The event was particularly tricky for Alison due to the number of steps required to climb to the top of the Cathedral. Both Alison and her daughter have a condition called HNPP, a disorder that affects the peripheral nerves and causes numbness, tingling and muscle weakness in the limbs, which Alison described as “like a daily roller coaster of symptoms and emotions.”  

Despite their individual challenges, both Alison and Scarlett aced the abseil and were exhilarated at completing it.

"We really appreciate you giving us the chance to do it! I don't think I stopped grinning for days," Alison shared.

"I went down like I was trying out for the SAS—no one would have guessed that if they'd seen me going up!"

Read more about our 2024 Liverpool Cathedral Abseil

Register for our 2025 Liverpool Cathedral Abseil

Naomi, Eleanor and Rachael.

Three brave Mersey Care staff took on our first charity Skydive in May last year for Mental Health Awareness Week. Trainee Estates Officer, Naomi Lloyd was the first to sign up, followed by Capital Projects Estates Manager, Rachael Marsh, who signed up to support her colleague. They took to the skies over Shropshire, diving from 10,000 ft, while Mental Health Practitioner, Eleanor Booth headed up to Grange Over Sands. Eleanor wanted to skydive for charity to ‘give back’ and described it as “probably the best thing I’ve ever done.” 

For Naomi, the dive was a bucket-list dream. Reflecting on her experience, she said:

"The day was truly amazing from the start. We were lucky enough to find a small break in the clouds for us to go up. Being up in the air was the best part, you go into a zone and the free-falling feeling was truly something out of this world!

The fact that between us we were able to raise funds for Mersey Cares made it even more worthwhile. I'm proud to say I have completed this challenge on behalf of the Trust I work for in support of their great services."

Read more about their skydive  Fab Four Take To The Skies for Mersey Care!

Register for our 2025 Mersey Cares Skydive

Lynda.

Lynda Taylor, Associate Director of Nursing and Patient Experience, and also one of our Charity Champions, created her own fundraiser, making homemade jam from surplus fruit from her garden. It's a great example of how someone can adapt a fundraiser in any way they choose!

"I just thought it would be a nice way to use up some of the lovely damsons and blackberries from my garden," Lynda said.

"I enjoy making jam but there is only so much friends and family can eat! I just asked for a small £2 donation to MC charity."

Lynda also accompanied colleague, Rosie, on the National Three Peaks challenge, which they completed in under 36 hours. 

"Snowdon was hardest for me as we hadn’t really slept much and needed to keep well fuelled, but I'm glad we did it and would definitely do it again, maybe within 24 hours next time!

Read more about Lynda's sweet initiative: Jam for Mersey Cares

Want to support us with a fundraiser?

If you'd like to help us to support our hospitals, walk-in centres clinics and wards, we'd love you to take on a fundraiser! As well as our full portfolio of exciting fundraising challenges, you can also host your own event, raising funds in whichever way you choose.  For more ideas have a read: Host Your Own Fundraiser

Happy International Women's Day!