ANDY BEEFORTH settled down for the night on a narrow portaledge suspended hundreds of feet above the ground in the Borrowdale Valley last night (FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY).
He agreed to the challenge to highlight the plight of older people who struggle to heat their homes in the winter.
He also did it to encourage people to join him for THE BIG SLEEP on Saturday 9 March – where hundreds of people will camp out on the shore of Windermere.
Despite lying really still, a twist in the platform forced Andy to make a late night retreat and climb up the rock face in the dark to complete his adventure under the stars at Surprise View, near Keswick.
Andy’s adventure was supported by Brampton climber Jim Fotheringham and with kind permission from the National Trust.
THE BIG SLEEP raises awareness and money for Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal – a grant making fund which helps to keep older people warm every winter.
Andy Beeforth is the chief executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, he said: “Every year I have my own little mini challenge before the Big Sleep. I’ve slept out on the top of mountains, tried sleeping in a bed on a lake, had a nap in a bed in a cave and this was the most terrifying.
“There’s a serious reason for doing it. In a bad winter 300 older people die due to the effects of the cold weather in Cumbria. Our Winter Warmth appeal saves lives. I will do almost anything to raise awareness of the amazing difference people’s fundraising can make.”
For more information about The Big Sleep, or to donate to the appeal, visit: https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/bigsleep/
