Beaconsfield mum, Emma Youens, is training to climb Kilimanjaro next year to raise money for Child Bereavement UK following the support she received from the charity after her son Ellis was still-born at 35-weeks.

The charity support families who have lost a child of any age and also children who are dealing with bereavement.

Emma said: “After Ellis died, I felt so low and guilty.

“Family and friends were a great support but, when you go to bed at night, you still don’t have your baby.”

A friend told Emma about Child Bereavement UK, and she started attending sessions with a bereavement support practitioner.

She added: “I thought, ‘Do I really want counselling?’ but then I sat down with the practitioner and found it was time for me to actually think about Ellis without any other distractions.

“What helped was understanding the different stages you go through and having someone explain that it’s normal to feel and react like you do.”

Following her sessions Emma began volunteering for the charity.

Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, and when Emma’s friend said she was preparing for the challenge, Emma decided to start training too, in aid of Child Bereavement UK.

Emma has climbed Snowden and Scafell Pike as part of her training and continues to run several times a week with the Beaconsfield Running Sisters.

Emma will hike to the peak over seven days, acclimatising to the altitude as she goes.

She said: “I wanted to fundraise for Child Bereavement UK because I’ve used their services, so I know a lot about what they do.

“They’ve helped me so much – probably more than I realise. For me, it’s important to fundraise for something you believe in.”

To support Emma visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaYouens.