Eleven members of a team from specialist coach and bus insurance brokers McCarron Coates have completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for a local charity. The team, drawn from the McCarron Coates directors, broking and administration staff and in-house claims division, raised over £2,800 for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) by completing the challenge, which involves climbing the Pennine peaks of Pen-y-Ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres) and Ingleborough (723 metres) in under 12 hours. The team completed the mission in times ranging from 9.5 hours to 11 hours.
The charity to which the money is being donated supports the heart, mind, family and future of those living with congenital heart disease through providing funding for the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and ensuring it can continue to be a centre of excellence. CHSF provides the unit with life-saving medical equipment, parent accommodation for families and vital ward resources. Some of its money also funds staff training, scientific research and new clinical roles. Each year, it supports over 17,000 babies, children and adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD).
The McCarron Coates team said they found the physical walking and mountaineering challenge demanding but doable, and all were determined to complete it to make sure they could bring in the four-figure sum for CHSF. Director Paul Coates said: “We undertake various charity challenges, both as individuals and as a business, during the course of a year and this one was, quite literally, close to our hearts. We are delighted to have raised such a good sum for the charity and know that it will make a difference, in some way or other.”
