A team of colleagues from Maidenhead are taking on one of the UK’s hardest hikes – the Three Peaks Challenge – in aid of Carers Trust.
The group includes chief financial officer Richard Harris and IT project manager Helen Scribbins, who both work at the Maidenhead office of The Rank Group Plc.
They will be joined on their gruelling challenge by other colleagues from Rank, which has been a supporter of the national charity Carers Trust for 10 years.
The challenge will see them climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in just 24 hours – walking 23 miles and scaling a total of 10,052ft.
Both have a personal reason to raise money for Carers Trust.
Helen was a carer for her ex-husband when he suffered a brain injury, while Richard’s mother was also an unpaid carer.
They are aiming to raise a total of £30,000 for Carers Trust, a charity that works with its network of local carer organisations to help transform the lives of the UK’s seven million unpaid carers.
Their challenge will begin on Saturday, May 4 at Ben Nevis in Scotland, the highest of the three peaks, which rises to 4,409ft.
From there, they head to the Lake District to scale the 3,209ft Scafell Pike. Their final stop is Mount Snowdon in Wales, where they will hike 3,560ft to the summit.
Helen said: “Back in 2013, my husband suffered a brain injury after being in a coma for a week. The recovery was long and hard and only became harder once he was discharged from hospital.
“I suddenly became his carer not his wife, whilst also being the sole income earner.
“I had never felt so alone during that time. My family and friends would ask about how he was doing, never me.
“Whilst they showed support on the surface, the reality was they never came over to the house, never offered to sit with him and so I never got a break, except when I was at work.
“It broke me. I was a mess and our marriage ended because of this.
“Around this time Rank started supporting Carers Trust.
“Had I known there were people who could help support me, or even that I simply wasn’t alone, the outcome may have been different.
“I know the loneliness of being an unpaid carer, I’ve been there, and that’s why it’s always my pleasure to support them any way I can.”
Richard said: “Carers Trust is a great charity that supports unpaid Carers across the UK.
“My mum cared for both of her elderly parents over a 10-year period and the impact on her was significant.
“The Three Peaks Challenge is a great endurance challenge and the perfect opportunity to raise money for carers that need important help and support.”