Builders merchant to climb Mount Everest

Anne Ganley, managing director of north east independent builders’ merchant Thompson Building Centres, will climb Mount Everest in May.

The trip, along with 20 other business people from the region, will raise money for some of the region’s most worthy causes.

Thompson Building Centres has donated around £1m in cash and kind to charities over the years and Ganley is hoping to boost this total, supporting those she has had a relationship with for more than 20 years to groups she has agreed to support more recently.

The money she raises will be divided between St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland, Newcastle’s St Oswald’s Hospice, The Bobby Robson Foundation, Wearside’s Grace House, The Brothers In Arms campaign and the Salvation Army.

The expedition leaves on April 30 and Ganley hopes now to encourage support from business colleagues, friends, family and contacts within the builders’ merchants industry.

“This is definitely the challenge of a lifetime,” she said. “Going to Everest in something I’d never even thought about but now that I’ve agreed to it I’m very excited and also want to try and raise as much as possible for the charities I support.”

Anyone who would like to support Ganley’s efforts can do it via her everyclick page at www.everyclick.com/anneganley.

Supporters can also keep track of her trek via Twitter (@anneganley) and Facebook.