A MOUNTAIN named after a heroic nurse killed by the Germans in the First World War has been scaled by the chairman of the Wiltshire branch of a charity also named in her honour.

Simon Knighton is chairman of the county branch of the Cavell Nurses’ Trust, which supports nurses, midwives and other health workers when they hit financial difficulties.

The charity was named after Edith Cavell, who was executed after helping 200 Allied soldiers to escape from German-occupied Belgium during the First World War.

Mr Knighton, from Aldbourne, was keen to scale the 3,363-metre peak of Mount Edith Cavell, at the Rocky Mountains in Jasper, Canada, ahead of a special effort planned next year for adventurous fundraisers.

The sponsored climb is set to feature 100 people as part of the Cavell Nurses’ Trust Centenary Appeal.

Mr Knighton, 64, said: “I can now personally testify that the 100 people who come out to Jasper to commemorate the centenary of Edith Cavell’s death will have a tremendous experience, and I tried a number of the challenges that will be available to people of all skill and experience levels.

“The mountain itself is within reach of those who are fit and determined enough and views from the summit ridge on Mt Edith Cavell are spectacular.

“But you don’t have to be a mountaineer to have a huge amount of memorable fun on related challenges all around the Edith Cavell area while raising funds for this very worthwhile cause.

“Our hosts in Jasper couldn’t be friendlier and have undertaken to work closely with us to rekindle the Edith Cavell legacy.”

The appeal, which runs until the 100th anniversary of Edith Cavell’s death in October 2015, aims to significantly increase the number of beneficiaries which the charity seeks to help.

Mr Knighton, who is chairman of an integrated health and social care provider in Bath, is no stranger to mountain climbing.

He has tackled the world’s tallest peaks in recent years, including Mount Everest in the Himalayas and Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

While in Canada, Mr Knighton visited the monument to Edith Cavell and even stayed at the Cavell hostel in Jasper.

The Cavell Nurses’ Trust, based in Redditch, Worcestershire, maintains Edith’s legacy by supporting nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants who find themselves in financial difficulties through problems such as ill health.

As part of its Centenary Appeal events programme, the charity has organised a lecture by mountaineer Doug Scott in Aldbourne on October 10 from 7.30pm.

For more information about the charity, including the lecture, visit the Cavell Nurses’ Trust website which is at www.cavellnursestrust.org