ADVENTUROUS fundraisers spent a week battling through 40-degree temperatures on a trek through the Sahara to support a children’s hospice.

A team of 11 set off for Marrakech, in Morocco, for the start of a week-long trip, including four days of trekking in the world’s biggest desert.

Between them, they raised more than £30,000 for Havens Hospices, which runs Fair Havens Hospice in Westcliff and Little Havens Children’s Hospice, in Thundersley.

After completing the 50-mile trek, the team worked with a charity in Morocco, helping people who have no family to support them.

Janet Evenden, 47, from Billericay, an assistant manager of Havens Hospices’ Hadleigh charity shop, took part, along with her sister, Debbie Whitehead.

In 2002, Janet gave birth to daughter Elena, who was diagnosed with a degenerative condition called GM1 gangliosidosis Type 2 when she was 18 months old.

She was told Elena wouldn’t reach adulthood and the family was referred to Little Havens for respite care in 2003.

Janet said: “The support we received from Little Havens was wonderful, I don’t know how to put into words how amazing it was.

“The care given to Elena was so specialised, if anything were to happen, I felt safe. At Little Havens we could feel normal, too, because all the families there were going through similar journeys.

It allowed me to just be mum again.”

Elena died aged six at Little Havens on April 5, 2008.

Janet said: “Little Havens gave us the time to create special memories together with Elena and for that I’ll always be grateful. My family thought I was crazy trekking in the Sahara, but I loved it and also raised about £5,000.

“It is surreal being back at work when just days ago, we were in the middle of the desert, but it was an amazing experience.

“We put in a lot of training, so I think I found it easier than I thought I would.

“Everyone else on the trip had a special reason for being there, whether it was because our chosen hospice had cared for a loved one or worked there. We all formed a special bond.

“It wasn’t until we got back to the hotel in Marrakech it hit me what we had done and I got a bit emotional.

“I was sad it had finished, and emotional, because I had done it for Elena.”

Havens Hospices fundraiser, Jane Hopkins also took part, along with Sally Nayler, Stella Tredwell, Jill Kitchenham, Ross Kitchenham, Diane Burns, Katherine Burns, Kim Redwood-Lee and Laura White.

For more information on future Havens Hospices challenges, call Emma Hamilton, on 01702 220308, or visit havens hospices.org.uk/events.