The team is made up of four members Andrea, Jamie, Roslyn and our designated driver Steve. The challenge is to summit the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in a single continuous journey. The ‘3 peaks’ as this challenge has become known, are Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon respectively. This will involve a round trip of just under 900 miles, and a total climb of approximately 11,000 feet!  If climbing them all wasn't enough of a challenge, our goal is to do all 3 peaks within 30 hours. There will be no time to stop for ‘luxuries’ such as hot meals or sleeping in beds, as we will be on the go from start to finish. We have our own dedicated navigator (Jamie) who might have to put his map reading skills to the test. Even though there are marshals throughout the course, and we will be carrying out this challenge in the British summer, the weather on these high peaks can be nasty at any time of year. There are also minimum driving times between the peaks to avoid road racing so any time lost on the hills cannot be made up on the road. After all, we don’t want the unexpected prize of a driving ban to finish with!

The Charity      
Action Medical Research is a UK-wide charity funding vital research to help sick and disabled babies and children. You might not have heard of Action Medical Research, but you will probably be familiar with many of the medical breakthroughs they have funded. For over 60 years they’ve been saving and changing lives through medical research and have spent over £100m, funding some amazing successes, including:

• Introducing the first polio vaccines in the UK

• Discovering the importance of taking folic acid before and during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida

• Developing the use of ultrasound technology in pregnancy

• Creating the matrix seating system to help support physically disabled children as they grow

• Testing the rubella vaccine
  

Fundraising

In order to take part in the challenge we had to pay a registration fee of £195, which we split between the team, and the minimum sponsorship target is £2,000. This is a huge challenge itself, especially in today’s financial climate, and we have come up with a few fundraising ideas to help us on our way to reaching our target.

December 2014 – Christmas is fast approaching and to help us celebrate the festivities and bring some fun into the Coats Pension Office we are hoping to organise a “Christmas Jumpers Day” on 24^th December. Coats colleagues get to dress up and pay £1 to go to a good cause. We also plan on holding a Christmas raffle and more details will follow in due course.

January 2015 – Now the fundraising really begins as Christmas is now a distant memory and people are in good spirits for the New Year. A fund raising page will be created so family, friends and anyone else who may be feeling generous can donate and leave a message for the team (anonymously if they prefer).

February 2015 – June 2015

We have also found that cake sales have went down a storm in the past as home baking seems a welcomed treat, as well as football cards so those donating can also win a bit of cash too! In the months running up to the event we will hopefully come up with some more ideas to raise funds which are fun so everyone will want to pledge some money and help this amazing cause. 

3 Peaks with Paddington

Teams must also take charity mascot Paddington Bear to the summit of each mountain.