Top doctor set for major honour after fundraising treks

Dr Anne Marie Brandon, speciality doctor in palliative medicine, is also a dedicated walker and climber who has travelled the world raising money for the hospice.

Now she’s set to take up a new post at Health Improvement Scotland.

Her adventures have included twelve international treks, two half marathons, five 30-mile hikes and ten Munro climbs in a weekend.

Later this year she will take part in her first full marathon and trek the Annapurna Trail in Nepal.

She said: “I was hooked on treks after my very first one.

“Getting to know other like-minded people and being able to raise money at the same time as seeing parts of the world that I would otherwise never have got to is a huge privilege.

“In between treks I have become accustomed to setting myself other challenges which help to keep me fit and at the same time allow me to raise more money.

“Working in the Hospice has given me the unique position of being able to see what a difference the money raised can make in the care provided to patients and their families.’

John Brady, Head of Fundraising at St Andrew’s Hospice said: “As well as being a dedicated doctor, Anne Marie has also been a dedicated fundraiser for the Hospice.

She’s literally gone to the ends of the earth for the Hospice by trekking in the Canadian Rockies, Peru and the Sahara Dessert as well as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

“With other activities such as adventure challenges and treks in the UK, as well as attending our Annual Ball, she has raised over £100,000, making her a standout star fundraiser - so as well as personally caring for patients, she has helped fund patient care.

Meanwhile in the same awards contest the hospice team have been named as Charity Champions finalists, where they have been shortlisted in the Community Charity of the Year category.