Pals take on peaks challenge for Alex
AGROUP of friends are taking on Britain’s highest mountains to raise cash for a cause close to their hearts.
Andy Edge, Andy Jowitt, Claudia Lewis, Josh Williams, Katie Sowter, Vicky Edge and organiser Sam Williams will attempt the famous Three Peaks Challenge in aid of the Alex Hulme Foundation.
Alex Hulme died in September 2011 at the age of just 12 after suffering from non-Hogdkin lymphoma, a type of cancer.
The foundation was set up by his parents Nicola and Dave – who is Sam’s godfather – to fund research into children’s cancer and has since raised thousands of pounds.
They said: “We felt it only fitting that we should honour Alex by setting up a legacy that will enable us to help others suffering with the illness that took him from us.
“Through donations donors will be helping towards improving the research into and the treatment of this dreadful disease and thus providing diagnosed children with a better prognosis for the future.”
Sam, from Stockport, has in the past organised charity football matches to raise money for the foundation, but says he decided he wanted to do something a bit different this year.
“I put the team together by just asking people I know if they wanted to get involved,” he said. “There are seven of us altogether and we are all from Stockport. Dave is also coming to be our driver.”
The gruelling challenge is an attempt to climb Britain’s highest three peaks – Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Wales – in just 24 hours.
Sam said: “We have been doing a lot of training. We’ve been doing lots of running to get our fitness levels up and we have been all around the Peak District doing practise hikes.
“My sister is doing it even though she only had a baby three months ago.
“I am looking forward to it. We all really want to be able to complete it – but I think some of us are more anxious than others.”
The team will set off on Saturday (July 22). They have set themselves a target of 1,250 and, at the time of writing, had raised almost £600.
For more information or to make a donation visit mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/threepeaksahf.