Vet Gill Mullen took up the challenge of a lifetime by scaling one side of the Grand Canyon to the other in a bid to raise money for a cash-strapped Chippenham cat sanctuary. Mrs Mullen, 49, who lives in The Lay, Box, with her husband Joe and two children Kate, 21, and Nick, 20, managed to raise more than £800 for the Cat Rescue centre after taking part in the walk, which is the equivalent distance of a marathon. Mrs Mullen, who has worked at the Hale Veterinary Surgery for more than 20 years, decided to take up the challenge after seeing the hard work of the volunteers when she adopted her two cats Jack and Fizz. She said: “It was hard work and the altitude of the walk made it very tough indeed. “I got involved with the cat charity after I became their regular vet and then nine years ago I adopted my two cats from there. “They do such a wonderful job there and are always in need of more donations.” The cat rescue charity, based in Monkton Park with other homes at Lacock and Rowde, relies wholly on donations from the public. Jean Stone, who runs the charity, said they are taking in more cats as the recession continues. She said: “We are getting more cats in as people are forced to move in rented accommodation and can’t take pets or afford to have them neutered so they have unwanted kittens.” Anyone wishing to make a donation should call Jean Gilbert on (01249) 653443