Two colleagues from tissue maker SCA in Prudhoe swapped their safety boots for walking boots to take on the infamous 3 Peaks Challenge scaling Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis for charity.
John Priest and Barry Buglass work in production and converting at SCA Prudhoe Mill, a leading hygiene and forest products company, whose household tissue brands include Velvet, Cushelle and Plenty.
They completed the tough 26 mile trek in three stages and raised over £1,800 for Cancer Research UK – double the amount they expected.
The duo decided to take on the challenge after regularly walking together to improve their fitness. Both have family and friends that have been touched by cancer and they wanted to do something positive to help.
John Priest, SCA RST maintenance leader, who lives in Prudhoe, explains: “Cancer Research UK is a really good charity and we wanted to help the important work they do.
“It is thanks to the generous donations we’ve received from family, friends, and colleagues through our JustGiving website and a £600 donation from the company’s charity committee that we managed to raise more than we ever imagined.
“We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has supported us. It was a tough challenge but the weather was kind and the scenery was fantastic.”
Ken John, treasurer and acting Chairman of the Wylam Cancer Research group and Hazel Haggith, a volunteer with the charity for over 30 years, joined John and Barry at SCA Prudhoe Mill to receive the donation.
Ken said: “Thanks to research, cancer survival rates have doubled over the past 40 years. Our ambition within the next 20 years is to increase the survival rate from two out of four to three out of four people surviving the disease. This is a big, bold ambition but with the help of people like John and Barry from SCA – we will get there!”
