Reaching the peaks of fundraising for the Donna Louise

02 August 2018

A team of intrepid staff from Leek United are aiming to reach the peaks of their 2018 charity fundraising this month…

They’ll be climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon – all within 24 hours, as part of the Society’s bid to raise £10,000 for the Stoke-on-Trent-based Donna Louise* throughout this year.

The 10 colleagues are taking on the awe-inspiring and leg-tiring ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ over the weekend of 11-12 August – walking a total of 23 miles, a total ascent of 10,052 feet and driving a distance of 462 miles!

Peter Excell, Leek United’s Deputy IT Manager – who is taking part in and helping staff train for the event – said: “The ‘Three Peaks’ is definitely not for the faint-hearted, and this one will certainly be a challenge if the weather we’ve been experiencing this summer continues over that weekend.

“But everyone is really fired up for it, we’ll all be properly prepared - and The Donna Louise is a cause close to everyone’s hearts.”

In the run-up to the Three Peaks Challenge, special collecting boxes have been distributed throughout Leek United’s participating branches (Ashbourne, Cheadle, Congleton, Hanley, Leek Derby Street, Leek St Edward Street, Market Drayton, Newcastle, Oakengates and Uttoxeter).

A dedicated JustGiving page has also been set up where members of the public can make donations.

Josh Slater, Corporate Relationship manager at The Donna Louise, said: “I’d like to wish the team from Leek United lots of luck as they take on the Three Peaks Challenge; the money they raise will make a huge difference to the children and young people who come to The Donna Louise.

“Earlier this year, we launched a huge fundraising appeal – One In A Million – as we need to raise more money than ever to support more families and offer more services. We are asking everyone to do something, anything, to raise money for The Donna Louise this year – and on behalf of the families who will benefit from the money raised by Leek United, I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ for the Society’s support.” 

*The Donna Louise provides respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-limiting conditions, as well as support for the whole family.

One family who benefit from the specialist care offered by The Donna Louise are Mark and Amber Povey, of Leek, whose young son Oscar has been attending The Donna Louise hospice for respite stays over the last four years.

Oscar, aged five, has CHARGE syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which affects his heart, ears, growth and eyes. He has undergone heart surgery, breathes through a tracheostomy, uses a walking frame and is also on a ventilator during the night.

“The Donna Louise is an absolute place of joy, and Oscar adores going there for respite stays. For us, the respite care also enables us to focus some time with our other children, in the comfort of knowing that Oscar is being so well looked after.”

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be posting more updates on our facebook and twitter pages, and letting you know how our fundraising total is growing.

So, thank you for any help you can give us – and join us in wishing our intrepid walkers the best of luck!