A year of frantic fundraising by former Looe schoolgirl Jodie Williamson has culminated in a trek through the dramatic scenery of New Zealand's South Island. The 22-year-old mother decided to undertake the trek in aid of The Children's Society as a way of acknowledging how grateful she is to have a healthy son when there are so many other children who are not so fortunate. 'It has been almost a year of hard work, followed by the challenge of trekking in New Zealand, but I would do it all over again to know that I had helped children all over the UK who really need it,' she said. Jodie,who attended Polperro and Looe schools and then Liskeard School, spent 11 days walking, starting in the South Island national park, Abel Tasmin, trekking for up to eight hours a day and finishing off with the biggest challenge of all, a climb to the 1,602-metre summit of Mt Fyffe. 'I wore my sponsorship jumper throughout and would like to thank all those who sponsored me and the charity, including Everest, Buildbase, All Seasons Kennels, Lloyds Pharmacy, Pelynt Stores and many more,' said Jodie. 'I am continuing to raise money for the charity and would be very grateful for any further donations. The group as a whole raised more than £60,000 which was brilliant, with money still coming in. 'I raised £2,300 with more to come in. I have also set up a site for donations through Just Giving. It's my own personal page and I will continue to raise and update the page throughout 2007.' l Log on to http://www.justgiving.com/">www.justgiving.com/ jodiewilliamson
