Friends and family,

The five of us - Laura, Sarah, Jenny, Helen and Rachel - are going to climb the three highest peaks in the UK in just 24 hours. We start at 4pm on Saturday 2nd June and finish (hopefully!) at 4pm on Sunday 3rd June.

First it's up to Scotland for Ben Nevis rising to an awesome 1334m, the biggest of the three. Then Scafell Pike, a mere 978m...in the dark. And to finish it off Snowdon, in sunny Wales, sitting at 1085m.

So why are we doing it?

It's not just for the fun and the glory. It's also because we want to raise as much money as possible for England and Wales Mountain Rescue. And this is where you come in. Dig deep! Donate as much as you can, the smallest amount still makes a big difference to these committed volunteers and the people they are helping.

There are many mountain rescue teams, each made up of dedicated, highly skilled, highly trained volunteers. It is impossible to overestimate the generosity, commitment and bravery of these volunteers and the sacrifices and personal risks they take to save other peoples' lives.

Most mountain rescue call-outs involve lost, injured or stranded hikers and mountaineers. However the calls do vary and missions range from locating and rescuing of people from cars trapped in snow to hunting for missing aircraft and searching for all kinds of missing persons - be it lost children, adults missing from residential homes, suicide attempts and suspicious disappearances.

Mountain rescue services often take the lead over the police and other public services in these situations as they are the best trained and best prepared outfits to deal with the hazards involved be they extreme weather conditions or inhospitable terrain.

They are completely self sufficient and rely upon the support and generosity of personal donations and fundraising events in order to survive and maintain a high-quality community service. With the expensive, specialised rescue equipment that they require to fulfil their role, mountain rescue charities remain very expensive to support, maintain and run.

So empty those pockets, look down the back of the sofa, anything and everything is more than welcome! The easiest and best way to donate is online (it's secure and we can claim gift aid from your donation).

Thank you!!