FUNDRAISERS have raised thousands on a winter trek in memory of a young dad who died of cancer.

Victoria Jones, 27, her mum Ann Arnold, and her friends Frazer Simpson and Kim White raised £12,000 for St Helena Hospice after spending three days trekking in Iceland.

The hospice looked after Victoria’s husband, Ashley, in Colchester before he died aged 31 last March.

Victoria, who lives in Halstead, said the trek had been a real challenge but knowing it was in memory of her husband and knowing where the money was going and how important it is to people affected by cancer helped her to carry on.

She said: “The best thing was completing it and it helped knowing that Ash and George were looking down to help keep one foot in front of the other.”

“I knew the challenge was personal for everybody and it was hard.”

Victoria added: “There was two days of snow before we went out so there was fresh snow which was about three inches deep.”

The group trekked a total of 30 miles across the three days staying in a nearby hostel and were treated to a night in a luxury hotel at the end.

There were about 15 people in total taking part in the challenge and they raised more than £40,000 between them.

Victoria said she is incredibly proud of herself for completing the trek despite dislocating her knee five weeks before setting off.

She said: “I did have a little wobble on the second day when the snow was really deep but the others kept me going.”

Victoria is already looking into taking part in another trek in Transylvania next year to continue supporting the hospice and its work.

She said: “It’s something different, you wouldn’t go on holiday there but it’s not a holiday, it’s hard work.”

Ashley’s death was the second tragedy for the family as his and Victoria’s son George, also died when he was five-months-old after he was born with his bowel, liver and stomach outside of his body.