Hiker raises mountain of cash for good cause

He was joined by almost 90 employees from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks who climbed the UK’s highest mountain to raise over £80,000 for the charity.

Bill, who works as a Commercial Manager for Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: “It was a challenging but fantastic and very rewarding experience to climb Ben Nevis alongside my colleagues in aid of Help the Hospices. The Bank is supporting us by match funding every penny raised which was a great motivation along the way.” A total of 89 participants completed the spectacular ‘Trek the Ben’ fundraising challenge on Friday, September 5, climbing Ben Nevis in the latest phase of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks’ partnership with the UK’s leading charity for hospice care.

During the eight hour expedition, the group tackled rough terrain, steep climbs and snowy ground before finally crossing the boulder field to the summit cairn, reaching the highest point on the British Isles, at 1,343m above sea level.

Jacqui Atkinson, community support manager at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: “We are very proud of our employees for completing the challenge and raising funds to support the valuable work of Help the Hospices.” David Praill, chief executive of Help the Hospices, said: “As a keen hillwalker, I was delighted to have the opportunity to take part in such a fun, yet physically challenging event. It was a fantastic experience and the team from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks showed amazing commitment to supporting Help the Hospices while trekking the Ben. Every step, along the sometimes treacherous terrain, has taken us closer to our fundraising target, helping support our member hospices to provide the best possible care for people approaching the end of life.” Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have been working in partnership with Help the Hospices for seven years raising more than £3.5million to date. The £80,000 expected to be raised from the ‘Trek the Ben’ event includes match funding from the Banks.