DAILY Echo reporter Joanna Codd will be lacing up her walking boots to join a team of people travelling to the Great Wall of China next month to raise money for the Poole Hospital Valentine Fund.

The trekkers will be spending five days exploring sections of the ancient wall as part of a nine-day trip that also takes in the capital city of Beijing.

All the sponsorship they raise will go towards equipping the hospital's new cardiac unit.

I am not going to make up the numbers, nor do I consider this a holiday. Like the other people on this October's Great Wall of China Trek, my main aim is to raise money for local heart patients.

But unlike my team mates, I will be reporting for the Daily Echo on how we fare during this important event in aid of Poole Hospital's Valentine Fund.

We will be walking an average of five to seven hours a day, often climbing and descending from steep ridges.

We will be camping near small villages where our toilet facilities will be rudimentary and showers a distant dream.

I have undertaken several charity walks in the past, most recently this summer, when I trudged 30 miles of the South Downs Way in heavy rain and through the night to help raise money for Oxfam.

That event involved weeks of training, so I am under no illusions about the challenge that lies ahead for all the Valentine Fund walkers, no matter how fit they are.

In my job as health correspondent for the Daily Echo, I have met some amazing men, women and children who have had to cope with heart problems, in most cases through no fault of their own.

Many would love to be able to tackle a long distance walk, so I feel I am doing it on their behalf.

For the moment, my personal challenge is to raise £1,400 sponsorship, every penny of which will go to the Valentine Fund.

If you would like to support me, please ring me on 01202 411296, e-mail joanna.codd@ bournemouthecho.co.uk or write to Daily Echo, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth BH2.