A mum who was left fighting for her life after an explosion at a pub says the incident has “completely changed her” as she prepares to thank the charity who helped her recover.

Former Philip Morant School and Colchester Institute student April Charlesworth was out celebrating her 28th birthday with cousin Ashleigh when the explosion took place in the outside space at the King’s Head pub in Great Cornard, in April last year.

April was rushed to Bury St Edmunds Hospital before being put to sleep and transferred to Queen Victoria Hospital in London.

She was put on a ventilator and woke up four days later with serious burns to her neck, hands and face.

In the last year April has undergone several reconstructive surgeries, skin grafts and a year of rehabilitation thanks to the Katie Piper Foundation.

Now April and her cousin are set to climb Scafell Pike on April 30, to raise money for the foundation, set up by presenter Katie Piper.

April said: “It was difficult to readjust to normal life. It still is.

“I still don’t like going out by myself, it completely changed me as a person even now, and it will be a year on Sunday.

“The Katie Piper Foundation have played a big part in my recovery, they have been there for me every step of the way.”

At 978 metres, taking the average person over eight hours to complete, climbing Scafell Pike is no easy feat.

April said: “I was preparing by having personal training sessions, provided by the Foundation, over Zoom call. My little boy was ill for a month, so I had to take time away from training to look after him. Recently I’ve been jogging, to prepare myself and get my fitness up to level.

“We haven’t got a set goal or time we want to complete it in, we just want to take it easy and try to have a laugh whilst doing it.

“The money for the Foundation will go towards sessions, like the ones I did for my training, for physiotherapy, rehabilitation and councillors, just to name a few.”

April hopes her fundraising and her courageous return to normal life will inspire anyone who may be in a similar position.

She added: “To anyone who is going through something similar, I’d advise them not to push themselves, take each day as it is.

“It’s ok to have bad days, I still have bad days. It’s important to accept hard times - it does get better."

You can donate to April and Ashleigh's fundraiser here.