Inspired by Mr McPherson’s courage, one of his pupils, Jack, came up with an idea to help.

Together with his schoolmates, Jack wants to climb North Berwick Law enough times to reach the equivalent height of Mount Everest.

The climb from the parking area to the summit of the Law is approximately 150 metres. Mount Everest stands at 8,849 metres, meaning the children will need to complete a combined total of 59 climbs to reach the same height.

The children will be split into small groups, each supervised by an adult volunteer. Every child will take on their own personal challenge. Some may complete 1 climb, while others may take on 2, 3, or even more, depending on their age, ability, and confidence.

You can support your child, grandchild, friend, or family member by sponsoring their challenge with a donation for each climb they complete. Every climb will contribute to the group’s goal of reaching the height of Mount Everest, and every donation will help support Mr McPherson and his family.

For the children, this challenge is about more than fundraising. It is about supporting a teacher who has supported them, showing kindness, resilience and community spirit, the very values that they are now demonstrating as a group to help him.

All funds raised will go directly towards James’s medical expenses.

Every donation, no matter the amount, will help give James the opportunity to pursue every available treatment option without delay.

Please Support and Share

Mr McPherson has spent years teaching, guiding, and supporting others. Now our community has the chance to stand beside him during the toughest challenge of his life.

If you are able to donate, thank you. If you cannot donate at this time, sharing this page with family, friends, colleagues, and the wider community would mean just as much.

Together, let’s help Mr McPherson climb his own Everest.

James has been diagnosed with an aggressive, stage 4 brain tumour - glioblastoma, measuring 7cm x 4cm. It is a devastating diagnosis, and without intervention the life expectancy is 12-15 months from diagnosis with standard care. Even with treatment, there is currently no cure, however the buying of time opens the door to potential future lifesaving treatments.

Despite these odds and true to his spirit, he is determined to fight for that time.

James is a father to two sons and a daughter, and his focus is on securing as much time as possible with them while exploring every available option.

He is actively seeking specialist treatments that are not yet widely available in the UK. These options are complex and costly, but they also offer the only chance to extend his life.

Optune therapy is one of the most advanced treatment options currently available for glioblastoma and has been shown to extend survival for some patients. Unfortunately, it is not available through the NHS.

Accessing Optune privately costs between £15,000 and £20,000 per month. We are therefore aiming to raise an average of £17,000 per month to give James the opportunity to begin and continue this treatment post surgery and radiotherapy.