Latest news with #charitychallenge
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Man completes '30 Bays' challenge in one day in memory of his mum
A Guernsey man has taken on an enhanced version the 30 Bays in 30 Days challenge, by completing the event within 24 hours. The challenge, in aid of Les Bourgs Hospice, saw Matt Holland run to each of the island's 30 bays and swim in them. The sailing instructor took on the feat in memory of his mum Sam, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) and cared for at Guernsey's Les Bourgs Hospice in her final months. Mr Holland said he was in "slight disbelief" he had completed the challenge, clocking up more than 30 miles (50km) during his run. 'An incredible person' Mr Holland said: "It's crazy starting the challenge, you start over at the bathing pools and you don't quite register what the challenge is going to be like. "As you get onto that first run you're going okay, this could be me for the next eight, nine, ten hours."He was joined on the route by friend Ellie Tanguy, who works at Les Bourgs Hospice. She said she cycled from the bathing pools and ran with Matt along the south coast."I get to see first hand everyday what the girls and guys at Les Bourgs do," she added."I work there so it's really amazing to be able to support them and to have worked with Sam while she was up at Les Bourgs.""She was an incredible person to be doing this for." 'Absolutely bonkers' Mr Holland said it was "amazing" to experience the sense of community during the challenge which included "people showing up at different bays to join me, even mum's old friends"."One of the first things my mind turned to on that first run was what my mum would say and I decided she'd be going, 'you're absolutely bonkers'", he Holland ended his challenge at Fermain, which he said was a special place for his said: "It's where both my grandparents' ashes have been scattered and that's where my mum said she'd like hers to be scattered as well, so it was really nice to be able to jump off the steps and swim ashore."Mr Holland and Ms Tanguy said they finished the journey just before 21:00 BST on Monday "which was a bit slower than we would have liked", but they had raised "nearly three times the amount we originally hoped"."I'm going to take a little bit of time, forget just how much I'm hurting today and then I might think about doing something else," Mr Holland added.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Swindon sight loss charity chair on five-county bus pass trek
A woman who is registered blind is to embark on a charity challenge with her husband, crossing five counties in five days using just her disability bus pass and Harrison and husband Uan said the challenge, which starts on 26 August, was inspired by the BBC programme Race Across the World, where people travel within a strict budget. They are raising money for Swindon Bats a charity which helps visually impaired people in the town access sport and social events. The couple will travel to Penzance and then aim to walk and travel by bus to return to Swindon. They have not planned accommodation, so will find it along the way but are also taking a tent. They will take the train to Penzance before navigating back through Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire in five Harrison has done other challenges before but said they wanted "up our games a bit".She was registered blind in 2021 and previously told the BBC Swindon Bats had helped her deal with her sight loss. She now is the charity's chairperson and in 2023 raised £2,000 with a coastal path walking challenge."It's literally blind as bats. It's our humour. We just love a bit of banter" she explained. The fan of Race Across the World added her challenge was also about showing how valuable bus passes were to those with visual impairments. "We're trying to show using your disabled bus pass to get as far as you possibly can," she said. "We hope we can show people what we're made of Harrison added: "When life throws you something as difficult and as challenging as sight loss you can go two ways about it. You can turn away from the world or you can try and embrace the change as best you can."
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PCs conquer three peaks for retired service dogs
A team of police dog handlers has completed a gruelling mountaineering challenge in aid of retired service dogs. Four constables from Northamptonshire and a sergeant from Leicestershire scaled the highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland in just over 25 hours. They have so far raised more than £3,000, which will be split between two charities. "This was, without doubt, the hardest and most physically demanding challenge that any of us have ever done," said PC Bradley Bowman. "We know that the Three Peaks Challenge is meant to be done in under 24 hours but considering the awful weather and some traffic disruption along the way, we're really proud of ourselves for completing it in the time we did. "Our bodies are now in pieces!" PCs Bowman, Daniel Bradley-Brophy, Lucy Sculthorpe and Sean Foster from Northamptonshire Police were joined by Sgt Grace Feavyour from Leicestershire. The titanic trio of mountains total a height of 3408m (11,182ft) over a distance of 23 miles (37km). The sun was beaming down on the team as it started its ascent of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands on 13 June but the heavens opened an hour into the climb and continued throughout the challenge. There was a weather warning in force at Scafell Pike in Cumbria, where thunder crashed around them in the early hours of the following day. The challengers finished with their descent of the rain-soaked Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Wales, that afternoon. The funds raised will go to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals and Hero Paws - Life after Service, both of which look after dogs who have served with various organisations including the police, prison service and Border Force. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Police dog nicknamed The Bear 'puts up his paws' Meet the new police dogs looking for leads Northamptonshire Police National Foundation for Retired Service Animals Hero Paws Leicestershire Police
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Double trek made cancer survivor 'feel alive'
A woman in remission with leukaemia said finishing two gruelling challenges in a week made her feel "really alive". Lesley Calder, from Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, climbed Ben Nevis and walked the Highlands Coast to Coast to raise funds for blood cancer charity, DKMS. The 59-year-old received a lifesaving stem cell transplant from her sister in 2019 and said she was keen to challenge herself again after completing a similar trek before she became ill."[Back] then I felt fit and well, it wasn't a struggle in anyway - this was a lot tougher, without a doubt the hardest physical challenge I've ever done," she said. "It nearly killed me, but I did it."Mrs Calder ascended 1345m (4,413ft) to the top of Ben Nevis on 30 May and two days later began the 120km (75-mile) Great Glen Way challenge with six friends, reaching journey's end on 6 said she "picked up where we left off" at the West Highland Way, which she completed 10 years ago, before being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. "I wanted to feel like I was pushing myself, I was extremely emotional and I'm not a hugely emotional person," she said."It sounds trite to say it, but I was pleased to be alive, it made me feel really alive."DKMS spokesperson Anna Norman said Mrs Calder was "absolutely amazing". "The fact that she was able take on a huge challenge like this shows how stem cell transplants can totally transform people's lives." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
PCs conquer three peaks for retired service dogs
A team of police dog handlers has completed a gruelling mountaineering challenge in aid of retired service constables from Northamptonshire and a sergeant from Leicestershire scaled the highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland in just over 25 have so far raised more than £3,000, which will be split between two charities."This was, without doubt, the hardest and most physically demanding challenge that any of us have ever done," said PC Bradley Bowman. "We know that the Three Peaks Challenge is meant to be done in under 24 hours but considering the awful weather and some traffic disruption along the way, we're really proud of ourselves for completing it in the time we did. "Our bodies are now in pieces!" PCs Bowman, Daniel Bradley-Brophy, Lucy Sculthorpe and Sean Foster from Northamptonshire Police were joined by Sgt Grace Feavyour from titanic trio of mountains total a height of 3408m (11,182ft) over a distance of 23 miles (37km).The sun was beaming down on the team as it started its ascent of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands on 13 June but the heavens opened an hour into the climb and continued throughout the was a weather warning in force at Scafell Pike in Cumbria, where thunder crashed around them in the early hours of the following day. The challengers finished with their descent of the rain-soaked Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Wales, that funds raised will go to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals and Hero Paws - Life after Service, both of which look after dogs who have served with various organisations including the police, prison service and Border Force. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
