Friends scale five peaks to raise funds for Yorkshire Rose College

A Doncaster man has joined his work colleagues from the Hensall Group to successfully scale the heights of the British Isles to raise money for charity.
 
Alex Jamison, who was part of two teams from the mechanical and electrical building services contractor, tackled the Public Sector Challenge National 5 Peaks Ultra which saw them climb Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon in Wales, Carrauntoohil in Ireland, and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland inside 48 hours.
 
Their incredible efforts raised more than £5,000 so far, with at least £1,200 being donated to Yorkshire Rose College, part of The Carr Fenton Foundation, to go towards creating a new wellbeing garden space for students. The other charities to benefit are Cancer Research UK and Make-a-Wish Foundation UK and it is hoped more will be raised in the coming weeks.
 
In previous years, Alex, who is chief operating officer for the Hensall Group, has undertaken tough endurance races to raise money for the college, as his wife, Tracey Jamison is the Principal.
 
This year, a team of four from Hensall’s Eggborough office and a team of six from its Kirkham Office set off for Ben Nevis to start the race at 5pm.
 
Said Alex: “The 5 Peaks is the toughest of the Public Sector Challenge series, designed to bring public and private-sector colleagues together to test endurance and teamwork.
 
“The ever-changing forecast was a concern as a potential storm was brewing following the heat wave! Ben Nevis was the biggest peak, but we were fresh, the weather held off, and we managed to complete it in a respectable 4.5 hours. By 3.30am on Saturday morning, we set off up Scafell with head torches and managed to get back down to the vans in just under three hours.”
 
The teams then faced a long drive to Wales, where they completed the first three peaks in less than twenty-four hours.
 
Alex explained: “With the fear of missing the ferry to Ireland removed, we could relax temporarily, so we treated ourselves to a quick mid-challenge pint in Holyhead while we waited for the ferry!”
 
The teams then endured a gruelling drive through the night to Carrauntoohil, before setting off up the mountain at 3.30am on Sunday and managed to get back down to the vans in just over 4.5 hours.
 
Alex said: “We underestimated this one which included a section called the 'Devil's Ladder', which was horrendously steep, and straight after there was a brutal 45-minute climb to the summit. This was the windiest summit by far and we genuinely thought someone might get blown over!
 
“We now had a race on our hands to stay within the 48-hour time limit. After a 5.5-hour drive to Slieve Donard, we set off on our final ascent at 2.10pm, ten minutes later than planned. The weather on this one was the best of all the peaks, which was great but also hard work with the sun beating down on us while working our way up the steep rocky path.
 
“The views were amazing up there, but we didn't stay for long as the clock was ticking, after a quick decent we finally did it within 48hrs and with a bit of time to spare.
                                            
“Unfortunately, we didn't bump into Catherine, Princess of Wales, who also completed the 3 Peaks the same weekend! But it was a great effort all round, with a special mention for the drivers who dragged themselves through sleep deprivation to enable the walkers to prepare between peaks. Without them it wouldn't have been possible. Thank you to everyone who has already donated and thanks to Hensall for supporting the event and taking care of logistics, accommodation, and supplies for the weekend.”
 
You can still donate towards the teams’ achievement here: https://givewheel.com/fundraising/16394/hensall-groups-fundraising-page-for-the-ultra-chal/
 
Yorkshire Rose College empowers Deaf and SEND students aged 16–25 to achieve their ambitions through specialist teaching, personalised support and practical, hands-on learning.
 
Tracey said: “We are so grateful to both teams from Hensall for their fantastic efforts over the 48 hours. It was an incredible achievement to reach five summits in that time, and we are excited to get moving on developing the wellbeing garden for students.”
 
For more information about The Carr Fenton Foundation and Yorkshire Rose College, visit: thecarrfentonfoundation.org.uk