Kirkhill camp-out is a charity winner
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A woman who camped out in the coldest conditions of the year has raised more than £2100 for charity.
Emma Knox (54) is deputy head of services for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and completed her five-night sleep out last month in the garden of her Kirkhill home.
She raised £2108 for the charity, smashing her original target of £1000.
“I thought it was a great idea when I came up with it in August – little did I realise then that the week I selected would be the coldest week for over a decade!” she said.
“The challenge was to sleep in my garden for five nights, so I went out to the tent at around 10pm every night and came back in at about 7.30am to 8am each morning.”
She started the challenge on December 12, the 10th anniversary of a near-fatal car crash in which she was involved, and finished on December 17 with a “Still Alive” celebration ceilidh for family and friends in the village community centre.
Emma said of the challenge: “I have to admit parts of it were pretty miserable – at one stage it was -9C inside the tent and I woke up with icicles falling onto the bed from inside the tent.
“There was frost and ice inside the tent every night. Actually, I think the fact that it never got over 0°C, even during the day, was a saving grace because everything stayed relatively dry – freezing cold, but dry.
“My husband works for the Scouts and my best friends are re-enactors who regularly camp out so I had plenty of tips and offers of equipment and warm clothes. I was well prepared – I had pure wool thermals under my clothes, rugs on the floor of the tent, a camp bed, winter sleeping bag and duvet on top of that.
Before going to sleep she read and listened to podcasts before she went to sleep and, when she woke up in the night, she listened to BBC World Service to get back to sleep. She said: “That made for some interesting dreams.
“What made it bearable and definitely helped me complete the challenge was that friends and people from the village kept dropping by with gifts and supplies. On the last night I decorated the tent with lights and tinsel and had a wee party with all the goodies everyone had brought – it took a bit longer to get to sleep on the last night because I think I was high as a kite after finishing all the tablet!
“People brought me home-made tablet, bramble whisky, marshmallows and a mini oil burner to toast them on, chocolate (lots of chocolate), hand knitted woolly socks and blankets.
“When I did get to sleep, I slept really well – I think being out in the fresh air gives a special quality to your sleep and you wake up feeling refreshed.
“Seeing my total go up every morning when I woke up was a real motivator. I am really grateful for everyone’s generosity – helping me raise over twice my target.
“I know the funds raised for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland will be very well spent, supporting and empowering people with cardiac, respiratory, stroke and long Covid conditions to live their best lives.”
• To donate visit Just Giving.
