An ambitious fundraiser for Westbank Community Health and Care, starting this weekend, will be taking an intrepid duo all the way to the Himalayas, hiking to Everest Base Camp then onwards and upwards to Island Peak, an ascent of over 6,000m. 

John Powell, Director of Unicare Devon, which provides Domiciliary Care across Teignbridge, and Andy Green of One Touch Health, a software provider supporting social care teams, are taking on the epic challenge. They are funding the entire trip themselves so that every penny donated goes straight to Westbank, a health and wellbeing charity that supports tens of thousands of people of all ages across Devon every year, empowering them to lead healthier, happier, more fulfilled lives and maintain their independence for longer. 

John says, “Unicare Devon is dedicated to supporting family carers in the Teignbridge area and that’s what has inspired us to take on this fundraiser for Westbank, a fantastic Exminster-based charity that does vital work across the whole of our county. Westbank's Devon Carers service currently provides practical and emotional support to 34,000 unpaid adult carers, the people who quietly hold up our health and care systems by supporting their loved ones every day. Westbank’s Devon Young Carers supports several thousand carers aged under 18, who often miss out on the kind of activities other young people take for granted. By making a donation, you’ll be helping us to help them.”

Andy says, “This is only my second attempt at a full-scale mountain. The highest I have climbed before is only 4,200m on a pass three years ago, before becoming unwell with Altitude Sickness. So, it will be quite a challenge for me. However, the preparation I’ve done with an altitude simulator has been a great help and will hopefully get me to the top.” 

John adds, “We’ve been training for months in preparation for this challenge and are funding the trip ourselves because we want to raise as much money as possible for our cause. We’re grateful to Classic Carers in Exminster who are kindly covering the cost of Andy’s kit hire for high altitude boots and crampons. We can’t wait to get our climb underway.”

John and Andy will be setting off on Saturday, 11th October and returning on Tuesday, 4th November 2025. One extra item they will be packing with their kit is a flag emblazoned with Westbank’s logo to place on the summit when they complete their challenge.

To donate to their fundraiser and help them reach their target of raising £1,500 go to: www.westbank.org.uk/fundraisers/john-and-andys-fundraiser-for-westbank-community-health-care