She’ll be climbing up the mountain
Born in Plymouth, Tara Dale has almost always lived in the city – but she has a love of travel and adventure that means she is seeing the wonders of the world whilst helping others along the way. Next stop – Morocco’s Mount Toubkal...
The road to charity work
Aside from 18 months living in Falmouth, Tara Dale has always lived in Plymouth. After leaving school, she worked in retail for 15 years and found a love of event planning/fundraising – tasks that were generally assigned to her by her retail team. “I was always interested in events,” explains Tara. “When anything to do with charity fundraising came up at work, such as Comic Relief days, it would generally be passed my way. I loved it.”
Something new
After so long in retail, Tara decided that she wanted to do ‘something totally different’.
“I knew that I wanted to go to university, but as I had been out of education for so long, I needed to complete an Access Course,” says Tara. “I did a Social Sciences course at City College Plymouth and it was so helpful – it taught me basic skills that I hadn’t used in a long time, such as essay writing and referencing. That set me up really well and gave me a solid foundation from which to embark upon my degree.”
Tara then started her Events Management degree at Plymouth University, which she completed in 2020. She used any free time wisely, volunteering at events and supporting companies such as Miss Ivy Events in order to develop her skills.
“I finished my degree just a few months after we went into the first Covid lockdown,” shares Tara. “The graduation ceremony was finally held up on the Hoe in 2022 and I was honestly so proud. I put a lot of pride into what I do and only my best is good enough for me – I worked so hard and achieved a first class degree. My partner and daughter were there with me when I graduated. My daughter was 16 at the time and I was so determined to show her that hard work really pays off and make her proud of me.”
The sky is the limit
In 2021, Tara completed a fundraising sky dive for Age UK Plymouth. She stayed in touch with the charity and went on to interview for the Head of Fundraising job – a role that she has now been fulfilling since February 2022.
“It’s been an incredible two years,” says Tara. “I am so passionate about Age UK Plymouth; we live in an ageing population and the thought of my own grandparents, if they had needed care etc, made me really connect with this particular charity.
“This role has also offered, and continues to offer, the most incredible fundraising opportunities. I love to travel and I like to feel that I can achieve things. I crave that buzz and excitement that comes from tackling something and succeeding. Take the sky dive for example – I’m afraid of heights and I’d never do it again, but it was an amazing experience and I’m so proud that I did it!
“And last March I complete a trek across the Sahara; it was the best time of my life!”
Taking on Toubkal
For her next challenge, Tara and a group of four or five others will be taking on Mount Toubkal, a mountain in Toubkal National Park in the south west of Morocco, this September. It is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, standing at 4,167m (13,671ft).
“It will be hot on day one, but our refuge is more than half way up the mountain and it will be chilly up there. We will settle at the refuge for the night, then set off again when it is still dark in order to be at the summit for sunrise. It is set to be the most incredible experience and I’m delighted that my partner will be joining me for this one! We will then spend a few days in Marrakesh to rest and enjoy the culture there.
“Age UK Plymouth offers plenty of opportunities like this one and we try to keep the costs and fundraising expectations reasonable so that it opens up experiences to people at a lower rate. Next year we will be taking on Everest Base Camp and I’m so excited!”
Tara’s thanks
Tara would like to thank Fort Stamford Health and Fitness in Plymstock for supporting the Mount Toubkal team with a month’s free membership and Marjon for the use of their altitude chamber at a discounted rate. These gestures are appreciated by the team.
Donate
To donate to the Age UK Plymouth Take on Toubkal fundraiser, you can use the QR code or visit https://localgiving.org/fundraising/AUKPtakeonToubkal
Any donation, big or small, makes a difference and the team is grateful for your support.
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