Two Lake District holiday park owners who set themselves the challenge of climbing all 214 Wainwrights in Cumbria have landed a £20,444 windfall for Cancer Research UK.
David Jackson, of Castlerigg Hall near Keswick, and Daniel Holder, of The Quiet Site near Ullswater, dedicated their year-long marathon to the memory of their fathers.
Both men lost their dads to cancer at a young age – David when he was 22 and Daniel when he was 16 – and they hope the money they have raised will help other sufferers of the disease.
The pair began their bid last year, and topped off the challenge this winter by scaling Haystacks near Buttermere, where Alfred Wainwright’s ashes are scattered.
Wainwright hand wrote and illustrated a series of seven volumes describing the ascents and views from the summits of 214 Lakeland fells.
David and Daniel originally set themselves the target of raising £5,000 for their charity, but donations to their Fells for our Fathers online page eventually peaked at £10,222.
This was then doubled with a fund-matching scheme through a philanthropic supporter of Cancer Research UK, bringing the total donation to £20,444.
The cheque has now been presented to Janet Leafe, fundraising manager at Cancer Research UK, who thanked David and Daniel for their truly remarkable achievement.
Daniel said that he and David had thoroughly enjoyed their fells adventure which had included scorching summer days and wading through deep snow on the summit of Crag Hill above Braithwaite.
Daniel said: “We are both keen walkers, and found when talking over a beer one night after a climb that the two of us shared the loss of our fathers when we were youngsters.
“That’s when we decided it would be great if our outings were able to make a difference to the work of Cancer Research and the many ways in which they support those affected.
“Raising £5,000 seemed a bit ambitious at first, but then our appeal took off with the help of friends, family, and other local businesses.
“Taking time out from running our holiday parks wasn’t always easy, and a couple of injuries and illnesses to which we fell victim along the way did threaten our timetable.
“The last ascent of Haystacks was just four days away from the end of the year we had set ourselves to complete the challenge, so we were both able to breathe a big sigh of relief!”
