Bad weather has forced a team from the Garenne Group to abandon its 24 Peaks Challenge.
The team, who all work for the Garenne Group of companies, attempted to climb 24 peaks in the Lake District – each over 2,400 feet – within a 24 hour time limit. The exhausting task was being undertaken in order to raise money for Jersey and Guernsey-based care provider Cheshire Homes, a care facility providing important services for both islands.
Commenting on the challenge, Garenne Group Chief Executive Officer, Andy Hall, said:
“The 24 Peaks Challenge was one of the most demanding endurance events available as a charity challenge.
“I don’t think any of us really appreciated what the weekend had in store for us but we had all done plenty of training and so we were as prepared as we could have been. We knew it was going to be tough but the fact that we had already raised more than £10,000 for the Guernsey and Jersey Cheshire Homes was a huge incentive for us.”
Day one of the challenge – which took place in September 2012 – saw the team complete 13 peaks, one more than they had originally planned, however, the following morning the weather took a turn for the worst and the challenge had to be abandoned.
RG Falla Joint Managing Director, Mark Palfrey, said:
“On Sunday morning, we were all ready to go when the guides informed us that the 70mph winds, heavy rain and low visibility meant it was too dangerous for the challenge to continue. We were keen to at least try and complete the miles and so we hiked for another four hours lower down, but eventually had to accept that the weather was against us.
“Obviously we were disappointed not to have completed the challenge but the decision was out of our hands and the organisers had to put safety first. We are now looking at what else we could do to try and reach our fundraising total of £24,024 as we want to do all we can to raise the money we said we would for two very deserving charities.”
The Garenne Group comprises a collection of companies which includes AFM, Camerons, Camerons Interiors, Garenne Interiors, Garenne Shopfitting, Geomarine, Granite Le Pelley, Rabeys Group, RG Falla and Sterling Services. The group has an annual turnover of £100 million and employs more than 600 people.
The event, which took place in the Lake District on 29th September, saw members from across the group climb some of the UK’s more famous peaks. The team comprised John Waterman, Russell Bailey, Danielle Hanley, Paul Salazar, James Travers, David Stuart, Richard Kalvis, Richard Breban, Deb Thompson, Nathan Crabb, Richard Moore, Adam Dorey and Monika Markowska.
All of the money raised so far by the team will be split between the Guernsey and Jersey Cheshire Homes.
For more information on the Garenne Group please visit: www.garenne.gg.
Cheshire Homes
Cheshire Homes provides care for residents of both Guernsey and Jersey, and specialises in the provision of care for people with serious physical disabilities. The charity offers support for adults living with disabilities such as multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, strokes and spinal injuries and provides residents with an environment that is as close to a family atmosphere as possible.
The Cheshire Homes on both islands also offer a very important lifeline for disabled people who require day care or short stay care, and in addition they provide a respite for those who care for them.
Running costs for each home range from £1 million a year for the Guernsey facility and up to £5 million a year for the Jersey home. Neither facility receives direct funding from the States of Guernsey or States of Jersey or from the Leonard Cheshire Disability. Although in Jersey, there is a charge for services, both homes rely heavily on the generosity of islanders to raise the money required to run the services each year.
