Grand fundraiser in Canyon

Charlotte Williams is no stranger to raising cash for cancer charity CLIC Sargent – aged 20 she raised more than £1,500 by trekking across the Atlas mountains in Morocco.

Her aim this time is to raise at least £3,500 and more than £2,900 has already been put in the pot after Charlotte, now aged 22, organised a charity ball.

Held earlier this month at the The Warwickshire, in Leek Wootton, more than 150 of her friends, family and customers attended.

Charlotte is now swotting up on the Grand Canyon, which is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and deeper than a mile, and goes from 2,000ft above sea level to 8,000ft.

Depending on the time of year in the desert-like terrain, trekkers can go from heat-stroke conditions to hypothermia in a few hours.

Charlotte, who runs her business Vanity Box from her home in Calpurnia Avenue, Warwick Gates, hopes to trek at least 100 miles over around five days as part of a group.

She said: “I’m possibly your stereotypical hairdresser in some ways but I’m determined to raise money for CLIC Sargent. Getting across the Atlas Mountains was hard physically and mentally. It was one of the best things I’ve done but also one of the hardest.

“It was a sense of physical achievement –before that I did not even own a pair of trainers,” said Charlotte, who went to Trinity Catholic School and Warwickshire College.

“There are lots of cancer charities, many of them focusing on cancer research, this charity aims to support families – financially and emotionally – with children that have cancer.”

Charlotte worked for many years at the Just Ian salon in Whitnash and her dad Andy runs the Leamington-based business Priory Flooring.

She’s following a rigorous training programme in preparation for October’s trek, which includes eight-hour walks and is hoping she won’t succumb to altitude sickness while in the Grand Canyon.

“I had it in the Atlas Mountains and it’s literally like having a panic attack – I could not breathe. They had to take me down to base camp,” she said.

“I’m walking as much as I can and pretending to myself that I don’t have a car. On some of the walks I will be with friends. I will make each of them do at least one with me.” And jokingly added; “Although I expect some of them will be following me in a car.”

Those who want to sponsor Charlotte can go to www.justgiving.com/charwilliam