Gruelling trek for charity cash

Friends’ peaks and road challenge

TWO friends are set to cycle 1,000 miles and climb 40,000ft in memory of a very special pal.

After their architect coworker Andrew Grounsell died of cancer last October, Darren Purvis and Luke Westoe decided to undertake a punishing fundraising challenge.

And now they have won the backing of Toon legend Alan Shearer.

Andrew was a husband and father-of-two. He faced bowel cancer for two years but sadly died aged 54.

But Andrew’s bravery and positivity has inspired Darren, 42, of Birtley, and Luke, 38, of Morpeth, to raise funds for two cancer charities - Maggie’s and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

As an architect, Andrew designed many outstanding buildings throughout his career. From thoughtful and innovative school projects across the north of England, such as Cramlington Learning Village, to large and complex higher education schemes such as Durham Gateway for Durham University.

Darren, Luke and Andrew all worked together at Space Architects in Newcastle.

Darren said: “Luke and I worked alongside Andrew for 10 years.

“We know this challenge will be very tough, physically and mentally, but it will be nothing compared to what Andrew went through.

“We picked the two charities because of the connection Andrew had to both. Maggies was a place that he and his wife Jo used to go to seek advice and to take time out during treatments. It was also where Andrew and I walked to on the day he told me of his illness.

Maggie’s Newcastle is a charity located inside the Freeman Hospital and serves the whole of the North East and Cumbria.

Darren said: “The Sir Bobby Robson Founda- tion also felt like a fitting charity because Andrew had been due to go on to a drugs trial just before he died. We hope we can do Andrew and both charities proud.”

Sir Bobby Robson launched his Foundation in 2008 and it has gone on to raise over £10 million to find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

The work, funded directly, benefits cancer patients in the North East and Cumbria and plays a significant role in the international fight against the disease.

To complete The Andrew Grounsell Challenge, Darren and Luke will not only climb the ‘three peaks,’ Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, but also cycle to and from them all, too.

Their challenge timetable is: START – Newcastle 2 day cycle south, England into Wales

Climb Snowdonia (Peak 1)

1.5 day cycle north out of Wales, into England

Climb ‘Scarfell’ in the Lake District (Peak 2)

2 day cycle north from England into Scotland

Climb ‘Ben Nevis’ (Peak 3)

Cycle east via Edinburgh 1 day cycle south from Edinburgh via Bamburgh and back to Newcastle

Alan Shearer, a Patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, recently met with the pair to find out more about their fundraising.

Alan said: “Luke and Darren really have their work cut out with this challenge.

“Having done a bit of cycling myself, I know how tough it can be.

“The idea of having to climb the three peaks on top of all those miles does not sound like fun at all. I take my hat off to them.

“I wish them both the very best with their training and fundraising.

“And I hope everything goes as planned in August.”

To make a donation, please visit: http://uk. virginmoneygiving.com/ agchallenge. Luke Westoe, Alan Shearer, Karen Verrill, of Maggie’s charity, and Darren Purvis