News

MORE THAN £3,000 RAISED FOR LOCAL CHARITIES BY NATIONAL THREE PEAK CHALLENGERS

10/8/2018

Six firefighters from Ramsey Fire Station have completed the National Three Peaks Challenge in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity, supported by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. 

The firefighters, accompanied by two drivers, travelled to the UK to scale the three highest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales, all in just 21 hours and 40 minutes.

The team of six began their trek in Scotland, setting off up Ben Nevis, the highest of the three mountains, in the sweltering evening sun. Once complete, they made the six-hour overnight drive to Cumbria to tackle Scafell Pike, followed by another lengthy drive to Wales for the final climb, Snowdon.

To date the group has raised more than £1,250 for The Fire Fighters Charity, with money still coming in. The charity supports firefighters who have suffered physical or mental injuries in their line of work, providing a broad range of services to help them get back to good health.

Firefighter Richard Watson said: ‘This marks the 50th Fire Fighters Charity Three Peaks Challenge in 25 years and is likely to be the last, so we are very lucky to be a part of it. It was a gruelling 24 hours, taking on 20 miles on foot, 10,000ft in height and 500 miles driving distance, but well worth it to raise funds for such a deserving charity close to our hearts.

‘We would like to say a huge thank you to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for its kind sponsorship of our ferry travel, it means a lot to us.’

Over the same weekend a group of eight colleagues from The Buchan School and King William’s College completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, supported once again by the Steam Packet Company. The group raised more than £2,000 for Rebecca House and Manx Cancer Help.

Alan Macnair, Head of ICT at the Buchan School, said: ‘I am so pleased with our team’s efforts and successfully ascending all three peaks. Packing in 500 miles of driving distance (in a minibus) and climbing three mountains in under 24 hours was certainly not a walk in the park, and I must admit the heat was a challenge and something we hadn’t planned for, but it’s an experience we will never forget and I’m delighted we can pledge more than £2,000 to two fantastic local charities.

‘Credit to our drivers Sean and Louise for getting us between national parks, there were some small, winding roads to navigate! And once again, thank you to the Steam Packet Company for supporting our trip.’

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘The Three Peaks Challenge is a test of both mental and physical strength, so it is impressive to see these two groups scale the UK’s highest peaks in under 24 hours. Hats off to both teams and it is great to see such fantastic amounts raised for The Fire Fighters Charity, Manx Cancer Help and Rebecca House.’

Photograph:

  1. Ramsey firefighters at the top of Snowdon
  2. King Williams College and The Buchan staff on the Ben-my-Chree en-route to complete the National Three Peaks challenge