KCOM hikers raise £5,200 with Three Peaks Challenge

FUNDRAISERS: Members of the KCOM team that walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks in 12 hours

By Rick Lyon

A KCOM team has braved blustery weather and blisters to raise more than £5,200 for charity by walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

Thirty-eight intrepid KCOM employees put their best foot forward at the weekend to take on the Three Peaks Challenge, a mountainous 24-mile hike encompassing Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales, which must be completed within 12 hours and includes 1,585m of climbing.

And despite the rain, wind and fog closing in, the team successfully completed the sponsored walk to raise much needed funds for Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, a charity helping local people suffering from poor mental health.

TOUGH GOING: KCOM walkers on their charity challenge

Event organiser and engineer team leader Ollie Lockton said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day and I’m so proud of everyone who took part.

“I’ll admit it was tough and the weather wasn’t great. My legs are certainly feeling it today – there’s nowhere that I don’t ache! When we got up the third peak at Ingleborough the rain was really lashing down, but the morale and the camaraderie was amazing. We really helped pull each other through. The feeling of achievement when we finished was incredible.”

As well as raising funds for Mind, the event enabled those taking part to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH: The team raised money for Hull and East Yorkshire Mind

“It was really good to be there with people from right across KCOM,” said Ollie. “I’ve made friends with people from other parts of the business I didn’t know existed, so it was really good to be able to team up and talk about mental health and how it affects us.”

Not content with completing the Three Peaks, Ollie and colleagues are now planning on their next adventure which could be a special walking challenge to coincide with KCOM’s 120th anniversary next year.

There’s still time to sponsor Team KCOM’s Three Peaks Challenge by visiting the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/kcom-group-limited-1691071322233

For more details about Hull and East Yorkshire Mind visit https://www.heymind.org.uk/