A THURROCK accountant will swap number crunching for the challenge of a lifetime - walking the Great Wall of China.

Julie Thurgood of Regents Court, Aveley, will be donning her backpack and walking for eight days along the Great Wall of China to raise money for The Essex Air Ambulance Charity.

She will embark on her adventure on October 8.

Julie, 32, said: “I've never done any serious training before.

“I thought that preparing for the walk would be simple but it is actually a rigorous 16 week programme and I've had to knock the treats on the head.

“I must be mad.”

The hard work will all be worthwhile for Julie if she succeeds in raising £2,650 for The Essex Air Ambulance Charity.

Essex Air ambulance is a local organisation that is run entirely on public donations.

Over its 10 years of operational service it has flown almost 10,000 missions bringing doctors and life saving equipment to patients within the first few vital minutes of an emergency.

Julie added: “My friends and local firms have been very generous and I hope other people in the town will sponsor me if they can.

“Even a few pounds will make a huge difference and mean The Essex Air Ambulance Charity can continue their invaluable work.”

you can sponsor Julie by visiting her online fundraising page on www.justgiving.com/juliethurgood You can pay by credit or debit card, and the money will go directly to The Essex Air Ambulance Charity.

Where supporters are UK taxpayers, the charity will automatically receive 28 per cent extra in Gift Aid, which makes Justgiving the most efficient way of sponsoring Julie.