Leading Nottingham charity, The Friary, has teamed up with Tesco employees in Nottingham to walk up Mount Snowdon, raising over £3,200 for charity.
The walk saw members of Tesco stores in Nottingham join forces with the Friary to make the epic 1,085m climb of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in the UK outside of Scotland.
The group of 20 took on the challenge, leaving Nottingham in the early hours to make the trip to North Wales. Spurred on by their mission to support the Friary in their goal to end homelessness in Nottingham, spirits were high.
Tesco Nottingham Station employee, Kathryn Edgson (who organised the walk) said: “I just wanted to make a difference in my local area. When I work my night shifts, I see so many homeless people in and around the city centre, often sitting right outside our store looking for shelter or food or essentials, and it feels like the problem is only getting worse.
“I wanted to do something for them and after speaking to my colleagues, it was a problem we had all noticed in and around Nottingham.
She added: “Completing this walk was an immense challenge but I know the money raised will make a huge difference to homeless people in Nottingham and with the support of the Friary, I hope that we can start to see less people having to sleep rough.”
Originally set for August, the walk was postponed due to gale force winds but there was no stopping the group this time as the team tackled the gruelling climb up the mountain, with every member of the group making it to Snowdon’s peak.
Battling tough weather conditions, the team made it back down the mountain, and travelled back to Nottingham that evening to enjoy a hearty meal, with some aching legs and a strong sense of pride to show for their efforts.
Chief Executive Officer for The Friary, Ben Talbot, said: “We want to give a huge congratulations to the whole team that has climbed up Mount Snowdon, it was a tough, brutal challenge and I’m so thrilled for everyone who came together and smashed the hike!
“Raising £3,272 for the Friary will go such a long way for us, and we hope people will read this and if they can afford to, donate money to our just giving page and help us raise as much funds as possible. On average, nearly 70 people come to the Friary for support every day, this leads to greater costs for us to run the centre and we desperately need the finances to bridge that gap. Tesco Nottingham organising this initiative has really helped ensure that we never need to turn anyone away, while hopefully encouraging other businesses to work with us.”
The Friary is proud to offer financial support, food, clothing, and practical item donations to those who need it the most, while also offering advice and support which is accessible and free to anyone who needs it.
You can celebrate the achievement of the group and support homeless people by donating here:
https://the-friary.org.uk/support-us/#regular-donations