Staff from a Harrogate estate agency have adopted 20/20 vision with a difference to scale new fund-raising heights for its charity of the year.
Linley & Simpson – based at Princes Square in the town with sister offices at Ripon and Wetherby – is marking its 20th anniversary by setting itself the challenge of hiking 20 miles across 20 Lake District peaks – while raising £20,000 to support the work of Martin House Children’s Hospice at Boston Spa.
To put the feat that lays in front of them into perspective, this represents an ascent totalling 2,434 metres or 8,032 feet – the equivalent of almost two Ben Nevis mountain climbs, or halfway up Mont Blanc, the highest in the Alps.
The independent agency has helped more than 100,000 people move home since it first opened its doors back in 1997.
Now its foot-sore staff are in training for a very different logistical feat in their race against darkness to complete an extended version of the Patterdale Horseshoe route in just one day.
As part of its “20 Twenty” challenge, they will take in Arnison Crag, Birks, St Sunday’s Crag, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, Little Hart Crag, Middle Dodd, Red Screes, Caudale Moor, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, High Street, Kidsty Pike, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The Knott, Rest Dodd, Brock Crags and Angletarn Pikes – all of which are designated Wainwright fells.
Led by founders Will Linley and Nick Simpson, the team includes Danny Tasker, Martin Elliott, Andrew Everett, Katie Radcliffe, Eileen Cahill, Mark Sheridan, Neil McGroarty and Paul Bridgeman – with Mark Christopher and Emily Wilkinson acting as support staff on the ground.
Director Will Linley, said: We have been involved in some tough charity challenges over the past decades – from the Tough Mudder army assault course to taking part in the Brownlee brothers’ triathlon – but this is our most ambitious to date.
It will be a gruelling day will involve around 15 hours of non-stop trekking, breaking only for refreshments.
As well as marking our own 20th birthday in business in a positive way, it also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Martin House and the amazing work its own team of staff and volunteers carry out day in, day out, to help children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across the whole region.
We hope it will crown the end of our year of support for the hospice with the highest amount we have ever raised for a good cause in 20 years.
The team will be guided on their challenge, which has been set for Wednesday 7 June, by experts from the Lake District Walker company.
Their guide for the feat ahead, John Scadding, said:
This is going to be a testing day over rough ground and is not for the faint-hearted. This is a challenging walk which should not be underestimated – many will opt to take this on as a two-day hike.
When Linley & Simpson first opened its doors, it launched with two offices and just 6 staff. The average house price was £62,000 and beer cost less than £1.50 a pint.
As a “home-grown” Yorkshire success story it has developed into a network of 11 branches and now employs a team of over 160 people.
You can support the team in its 20 Twenty quest to raise £20,000 for Martin House by visiting its dedicated JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LinleyandSimpsonMartinHouse
