A TREK through the Sahara gave a Crediton woman the bug for unusual holidays. Now 28 years-old Claire Arthur is working towards climbing three volcanoes in Iceland to raise funds for Hospiscare.

Claire is a junior buyer at Mole Avon, Crediton. It all began when Claire and Mole Avon colleague, Richard Billson, decided to do the Sahara Challenge in 2014 as part of the company’s 40 years celebration. “That set me going,” she said. “I got the bug for this sort of travel because it is a way of seeing the world while raising money for charity.

“Last year I did the Great Wall of China Trek, 50 miles that were really up and down, mainly on the bits that people don’t usually get the chance to walk on.

“It is all arranged by Hospiscare and last time the 22 of us raised just shy of £90,000 which was amazing and I am so grateful to all the people who helped.”

Her next trek will be Iceland and Claire is already fundraising. She has a Just Giving page and donations can be left at the Mole Avon shops or at The Pet Shop on Crediton High Street, run by Claire’s brother, Leigh.

On Saturday Claire was given space at the Mole Avon Mill Street shop for a cake sale table, selling cakes, buns, biscuits and pies made by herself, members of Mole Avon staff and other friends.

She is booked for a collection at Morrisons on one Sunday a month for a while and has booked a stall at the Inside Outside Market, the craft market on Exeter Quay for the first Sunday of each month.

There are about 30 places for the volcano trek in the autumn of 2018, also taking in one glacier.

Sue Read