A family has raised £20,000 in memory of a husband and father who died from a brain tumour.

Joanne Ainslie, 58, from Lymington, has organised cheese and wine nights, pub quizzes, and even completed the Three Peaks Challenge with her family to honour her late husband, Craig, who died in 2003.

This year, she is embarking on her most ambitious fundraiser yet – a 50km trek across the Sahara Desert in March, raising money for Brain Tumour Research.

The four-day challenge, starting on March 27, will see Joanne and 15 others, each with personal connections to brain tumours, brave the desert’s extreme heat, sand dunes, and long, gruelling days without basic comforts like beds, showers, or toilets.

Joanne, a mother of two, said: "I’m really excited about the Sahara Trek, but I’ve injured my foot during training, so it’s already the first of many hurdles I’ll need to overcome.

"I’ve been finding alternative ways to prepare while giving my foot time to heal.

"Long walks are helping me build leg strength, and I’ll be doing some of those with my children, Holly and Alex, in a couple of weeks.

"The environment will be completely unfamiliar, and there’s no real way to prepare for it.

"I live on the coast, so I can train on the beach, but it’s nothing compared to the Sahara’s sand dunes and heat.

"Still, I keep telling myself: if I can do this small thing, considering what Craig endured, this challenge will feel like a drop in the ocean."

Joanne shared: "Last year, our goal was to raise £5,000, but we surpassed it with £20,000.

"I’m already considering a skydive or wing walk as my next challenge to support this charity, which means so much to me.

"Raising funds and awareness is crucial to finding a cure and saving thousands of lives affected by this disease every year.

"We’re not stopping anytime soon.

"I know if Craig were here, he’d cheer me on, saying, ‘You go, girl.’ He was always my biggest supporter."

To support Joanne’s Sahara Trek challenge, visit justgiving.com/page/ainsliecrew.