A Surrey woman who lost her friend to suicide will walk the equivalent height of Mount Everest at Box Hill next week for the charity started in her memory.

Megan Cross first met Grace Dear at the gym, and hopes to raise enough money to help the Grace Dear Trust fund a new gym at a local school.

Her efforts form part of a wider initiative by the north Surrey charity to introduce "outdoor multi gyms" to schools in the area and in so doing help support the students’ physical and mental well-being.

On June 19 Megan plans to walk the equivalent height of Mount Everest — hiking up Box Hill, Surrey, 40 times — in under 24 hours in a remarkable fundraising drive.

"Now more than ever, with the impact of Covid affecting everybody’s lives, mental health awareness is significant and so important," Megan wrote on her fundraising page.

Read more: The Grace Dear Trust partners with Surrey Schools 

The Grace Dear Trust was founded in 2018 by friends and family members following the death of Grace, 27, to suicide in 2017.

The group aims to raise awareness and provide support for communities in the region affected by mental health issues, under the message: "It's OK not to be OK."

Since their founding they have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and resources to support the improvement of mental wellbeing of young people in Surrey and the surrounding areas, help fund staff training in mental health first aid, counselling services for students who need it, and a variety of proactive wellbeing initiatives for young people in the region.

"Please dig deep… any amount of sponsorship is so gratefully received. Together we are stronger and can make a difference," a spokesperson for the group said.