The “Welsh 3000s” challenge involves scaling the peaks of all 15 mountains higher than 3,000 feet in Wales, hiking 31 miles and includes 4,000 meters of ascent in 24 hours.
The team of Paul Kelly, Philip Rule, Dawn Birch, Peter Wilderspin, Jane Baker, Doug Bowen, Mark Parsons, and Paul Milliner trekked the course - with the support of two drivers, Chris and Sally Hinton - raising over £5,000 for Marie Curie.
Paul Kelly, Dairy Farm Manager for the university’s Park Farm said:
“The charity is close to many of the teams’ hearts, especially mine as in 2020 my partner’s dad and my mum both died within six weeks of each other.
“Marie Curie provided care for my partner’s dad and supported the family during the last few weeks of his life.
“It was extremely hard for them to sit and watch what was happening to him 24 hours a day, but Marie Curie Nurses came and cared for him overnight and it allowed the family to get some rest knowing that he was still being cared for.
“The care and support Marie Curie offer at the worst time in everyone’s life is invaluable, which is why we decided to take on the challenge to raise funds for them to try and help more people in the UK.
“It was a real team effort and highlights of the trip include reaching the summit of Crib Goch, an iconic mountain ridge, and the bacon roll that Sally and Chris brought us when we arrived in Nant Peris after we completed Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain and Snowdon before heading up the Glyders to tackle the next five mountains.
“We’ll also never forget Dawn managing to fall asleep during a brief stop on the side of a mountain and how we supported each other to complete the challenge.”
Graham Matthews, Director of Estates, University of Cambridge said:
“The team from the estates division demonstrated great resilience and determination in tackling the Welsh 3000s Challenge. They set a target of £2,000 but thanks to their generous supporters and their determination to scale all 15 peaks they manged to raise over £5,000 raised for a great cause.”
Claire Morris, Head of Fundraising in East England at Marie Curie said:
“It is thanks to the efforts of fundraisers like the Cambridge University Estates division that Marie Curie has been there for people affected by terminal illness over the past 75 years. But today our work is more needed than ever.
“We know that everyone will be affected by dying, death and bereavement and our aim is to make sure that everyone has the best possible end of life experience. With the amazing amount of money that they raised; we can ensure a future where everyone gets the care they need.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/estates-division-1677575090324/
If anyone wishes to find out how they can raise funds or become a local volunteer for Marie Curie in Cambridgeshire please contact Maxine Andrews at maxine.andrews@mariecurie.org.uk
