CHARITY TEAM RISES TO THE OCCASION

A team of intrepid adventurers from south east London has just completed a gruelling challenge, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Six employees from Maracom Limited, a firm of commercial heating engineers, completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Supported by colleagues and the supply of a fantastic new Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle Minibus for travelling between the peaks by Beadles’ Volkswagen van centre, Jo Tunbridge, Dean Bertie, Garry Connor, Chris Wood, Pat Lynch and Ted Birks completed the challenge in exactly 23 hours.

The team is now hoping online donations can help reach the target of £7,500; currently the total is just over £3,500.

Team leader and driver Pat Lynch said: “We’re delighted to have completed the event in under 24 hours and hope people can help us reach our target.

“The support from everyone at Maracom and partners including Beadles Volkswagen van centre have meant every penny raised is going to charity.

“There were a few blisters and tired legs at the end but plenty of smiling faces at our achievement.”

Beadles’ brand manager, Keith Banks, said: “It’s important we support local charity events and fundraising activity. This is a magnificent feat by the Maracom team and we’re pleased the loaned Transporter helped all donations go to charity.”

To help the team reach their target and make a donation go to www.justgiving.co.uk/maracomA team of intrepid adventurers from south east London has just completed a gruelling challenge, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Six employees from Maracom Limited, a firm of commercial heating engineers, completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Supported by colleagues and the supply of a fantastic new Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle Minibus for travelling between the peaks by Beadles’ Volkswagen van centre, Jo Tunbridge, Dean Bertie, Garry Connor, Chris Wood, Pat Lynch and Ted Birks completed the challenge in exactly 23 hours.

The team is now hoping online donations can help reach the target of £7,500; currently the total is just over £3,500.

Team leader and driver Pat Lynch said: “We’re delighted to have completed the event in under 24 hours and hope people can help us reach our target.

“The support from everyone at Maracom and partners including Beadles Volkswagen van centre have meant every penny raised is going to charity.

“There were a few blisters and tired legs at the end but plenty of smiling faces at our achievement.”

Beadles’ brand manager, Keith Banks, said: “It’s important we support local charity events and fundraising activity. This is a magnificent feat by the Maracom team and we’re pleased the loaned Transporter helped all donations go to charity.”

To help the team reach their target and make a donation go to www.justgiving.co.uk/maracom

YORKSHIRE THREE PEAK CHALLENGERS RAISE OVER £1000

A group of intrepid colleagues from Alan Day Volkswagen in New Southgate took on a notoriously tough climbing challenge to help fund a World Challenge expedition to the Himalayas, raising over £1,000.

Alan Day employees, David Wormald from Peckham, Nick Wells from Walthamstow and Andre Van Breda from Wimbledon joined three other trekkers to raise £1,100 to help fund David’s daughter, Frances’, World Challenge educational expedition, later this year.

The money was raised after the team took part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough - the three highest mountains in Yorkshire – all in under 12 hours.

The novice walkers agreed to support Frances’ fundraising challenge after the 17 year old raised over £2,000 for her expeditions by undertaking odd jobs for friends and colleagues.

Alan Day Volkswagen Van Centre also provided a Caravelle for the trek, easing travel arrangements and providing a much needed support vehicle for drinks in between summit climbs.

Alan Day’s accountant and trek team captain, David, said: “We were very happy to support Frances fundraising efforts; she has worked so hard and the 24.5 miles walk was ideal preparation for her Himalayan trek.

“We were so grateful to Alan Day for providing our transport and my partner’s initial driving concerns were unfounded as she found the van very easy to drive.

“Although we did some training we certainly all found the walk a lot harder than we expected, but the generous donations from Alan Day and our colleagues helped push us to complete the challenge in 11 hours and 40 minutes.”

World Challenge provides educational expeditions in the developing world for young people to help develop their life skills. All explorers are required to raise all money needed to fund their expedition.

For further information please contact Sue Foster or Becki Oake on 01902 714957 or email sue@connect-group.com / becki@connect-group.com

THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

A team from Bristol will take on one of the toughest challenges of their lives this summer, to raise money for a cancer charity.

Driven by Heritage Volkswagen Van Centre’s general sales manager, Deryk Johnson, the team of seven named ‘Simply the Breast’ will take on the challenge over June 20th and 21st.

Joining him as co-driver will be his sister, Yvonne Beavan, and together with the rest of the team they’re raising funds for Breast Cancer Research.

Yvonne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, making Deryk and the whole team more determined to complete the challenge

During the two day challenge Deryk will act as navigator and driver, carefully managing the team’s arrival at each peak before being ready to collect everyone when they reach the bottom of Ben Nevis and Scaffell Pike.

Yvonne’s husband Richard Beavan will lead the team made up of their children, Chris (25) and Jess (17), Richard’s brother in-law Neil Hackwood (44) and family friend, Lee Russell (38).

Simply the Breast will start the challenge with the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis. Standing at 1,344 metres, it is expected to take three hours to climb and a further two and a half hours to descend.

Next they will travel to 978 metre Scafell Pike in the Lake District, with a climbing time of two hours and a hour and a half to descent. Finally, they will take on Snowdon in Wales. At 1,085 metres high it will take them an estimated two and half hours to climb, ounce at the top the challenge is finally over.

The group’s challenge is being supported by Heritage Volkswagen Van Centre, who will be supplying a Volkswagen van to transport them from start to finish.

Heritage Volkswagen Van Centre’s brand manager, Charles Roberts said: “We are all proud of Deryk, and the Simply the Breast team. By donating the use of a van, to transport them from peak to peak, we hope they can concentrate on making as much money as possible.”


Sales manager, Deryk added: “It’s going to be tough to complete the challenge in 24 hours, but we have all trained hard. We hope we can raise lots of funds for Breast Cancer Research.”

He said: “Yvonne is an inspiration to all those that know her.

“It was a shock when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but her courage is helping push us to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.”

To donate money to Simply the Breast, to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research please speak to Deryk at Heritage Volkswagen (tel: 0117 976 5000) or contact the groups facebook page.

Picture caption: The Simply the Breast Team (l-r) Lee Russell, Jessica Beavan, Yvonne Beavan, Richard Beavan, Chris Beavan, Neil Hackwood and Deryk Johnson.

THREE PEAKS CHALLENGERS RAISE OVER £2500 FOR CHARITY

Three friends joined forces to take on a notoriously tough climbing challenge raising just over £2,500 for children’s charities.

Andrew Harmer, Scott Taylor and Matthew Hall, from Nottingham, had all experienced a personal loss which led to their decision to take on the charity trek.

The trio committed themselves to climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon - the three highest mountains in UK – all in under 24 hours raising funds for the LAMBS Appeal and the Meningitis Trust.

After months of gruelling training, the three men completed the challenge in 23 hours and 25 minutes.

Andrew, who was given a generous donation from his former employer, Nottingham Volkswagen, raised £1,028 for the LAMBS Appeal which provides memory boxes for parents who lost their babies in the early stages of pregnancy.

Set up by two midwifes who are based at the Queen Medical Centre Hospital; the LAMBS Appeal provides an unique service for parents who tragically experience the loss of their child before 24 weeks.

Scott and Matthew successfully raised £1500 for the Meningitis Trust.

Andrew, said: “We put a lot of effort into training for the day but it was still extremely tough, definitely the most physically demanding thing any of us have ever done.

“Crossing the finish line was an exhilarating feeling and we would like to thank everyone especially Nottingham Volkswagen for supporting us so generously.”

Declan Oglesby of Nottingham Volkswagen added: “We were happy to support Andrew, he may not be a member of staff but he is still a familiar face and well liked individual. We are pleased to have helped his fund raising efforts.”

The trio started the challenge at Ben Nevis in Scotland, taking two hours 45 minutes to climb the 1,344 metres to its summit and two hours to descend. They travelled to 978 metre Scafell Pike in the Lake District, which took them two hours 45 minutes to climb and one hour 15 minutes to descend. Finally, they climbed 1,085 metre Snowdon in Wales, taking them two hours and a further one hour 15 minutes to descend.

For further information contact Sue Foster 01902 714957 / 07850 274 889 or email suefoster@connect-group.com