Those of you who have worked with me for some time will know that every so often I have another mid-life crisis and need to prove to myself that my chronological age has nothing to do with who I am.
So you won’t be too surprised that the latest venture is the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge!
This involves a walk of 24 miles (38.6km), and includes 1585m (5200ft) of ascent, taking on the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in under 12 hours. These peaks form part of the Pennine range, and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Imagine it as almost running a marathon, but with three steep hills as light relief.
Whilst it might satisfy some weird craving for me, there would be little point if the walk didn’t achieve much more than that. I’m very fortunate that the Covid pandemic has not had a big impact on my life. I still have a secure job with comfortable income, and live in a beautiful part of world where I am able to get out and enjoy the countryside. Sadly, many others are not as fortunate.
Charities across the country are suffering as a result of a huge loss of income from fundraising events, shop receipts and absence of volunteers to carry out their essential work.
I know many of you will have organisations you support on a regular or occasional basis, and at Serenity we are always keen to help financially and with our time those who do not enjoy the life we all too often take for granted.
One such group in my area of North Yorkshire is Henshaws who strive to improve the quality of life, increase independence and reduce the social isolation of those affected by sight loss and other disabilities.
They believe that everyone has the right to an independent and fulfilling life. By providing support, advice and training, individuals and their families are encouraged to build skills, develop confidence, help each other and look forward to a more positive future.
Pre lockdown the Challenge had been planned as an organised event with a large group of participants, but this has proved impossible to arrange safely, so it is now just a few of us socially distanced ramblers. This means it will that much harder to raise the amount of money we had originally hoped for.
Any support would be greatly appreciated:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-kemp5
Find out how your support for Henshaws makes a real difference at https://www.henshaws.org.uk
To learn more about The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge visit https://www.threepeakschallenge.uk/yorkshire-three-peaks…
– Ian Kemp
