A brave little girl from Telford will be reaching new heights when she climbs the highest mountain in Great Britain to raise funds for her school to buy a mini bus.
Seven year old Gemma Betts, from St Georges, who has special needs, will be climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland with her parents Jo and Paul.
Gemma is autistic but her condition went undiagnosed until she attended Haughton School in Madeley. She also has developmental problems and delays with speech and language.
As a thank you for the support she has received from the school, Gemma and her parents decided to raise funds for the new mini bus to take children on school trips.
Gemma has been climbing with her parents since she was tiny and says she is looking forward to taking part in the climb on July 30.
She said: “I love mountains and I am really excited about climbing. I think it will be lots of fun. I am really looking forward to the trip and can’t wait until I get there. My favourite part about climbing is when I am on the mountain as I am climbing up.”
Gemma is no stranger to climbing and her previous ventures with her family have included Snowdon in Wales and Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
Mum Jo said: “As a family we have always done a lot of mountain climbing. Gemma loves it, so we decided to raise some money for the school with our next challenge, which is to climb Ben Nevis.
“Gemma has always had a good time at school and Haughton have been especially supportive in diagnosing her condition and giving her the help that she needs.
“This is the first time we’ve done fundraising and the support from family, friends and people at the school has been fantastic. It’s great to see Gemma come alive when she climbs and it is something she is really good at. It’s really amazing to see her take on such big challenges and we are so proud of her.”
Sponsorship money from the climb will go towards the school’s £19,000 target and any support from the public is welcome. Around £3,000 has been raised so far.
Headteacher Belinda Logan said: “When Gemma and her family offered to raise funds for us, we were so grateful. I think it’s fantastic, it’s such an achievement for a child with special needs. Gemma wants to give something back to the school and for that we are really thrilled.”
To sponsor Gemma or help the fund, call the school on (01952) 387540.
