Tell us what you did and what made you want to support Wood Street Mission? 

A number of the lads play on a pool team at our local pub. We have been getting into walking/hiking over the last year, but we haven’t been on one together. One of the lads had already done the ‘Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge’ before and suggested that it would be a fun way of spending a Saturday. After setting a date and realizing that it was around Christmas time, we started to look for charities that we could raise money for. Once we found the Wood Street Mission Christmas Appeal, we knew that raising money for a charity like this would have such a positive impact on our community. With a few more of our friends volunteering, the ‘Hive Hikers’ was born!

What was the hardest part of the challenge?

I think the answer to this question will differ depending on who is being asked! I’m sure a number of the group would agree that getting out of bed at 2am was the hardest part. Whereas, a couple of the lads that stayed over might argue that listening to George snore all night was the last thing they needed! The hardest part of the walk however, was traversing the last peak ‘Whernside’. With a steep incline and what seemed like an endless amount of steps this peak really was a killer on the calves and really took it out of us. With the challenge being done in December we only had so much daylight left and with exhaustion setting in, it was a race against the sunset to get back to the cars. This only made it more challenging!

What was the best part?

All of the lads agreed that the best part of the challenge was reaching the summit of the first peak ‘Pen-y-ghent’. The combination of the comradery paired with the early sunrise made this achievement even more special. Filled with apprehension and spurred on by the sense of achievement, we pressed on, scaling down the mountain eager to see what was in store for us next!

You went to some serious efforts with your walking challenge, and to raise over £3,000 for our Christmas Appeal too is just amazing. How does it feel to know how you have made a difference?

Hearing that our fundraiser has had such a positive impact on our local community has given us something to be extremely proud of. Knowing that the charity has been able to provide gifts to 3,000 local children, really puts into perspective the amazing work that Wood Street does and I know all of the lads are honored to have been a part of it. With us coming down to the Wood Street project and seeing it firsthand, it really opened our eyes and made us realise how much of a positive impact the charity has on our local community.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about taking on a challenge to support Wood Street Mission with their friends or family?

We couldn’t recommend it enough! Not only did we have a great time participating in the challenge, but knowing that we have raised over £3,000 for the charity is the icing on the cake. Our initial goal was to raise £1,000 and with the support of our families and friends we were able to smash our target. Having raised more than we could have expected it has given us something to be extremely proud of. The impact of these fundraisers can have such a positive impact and we would like to take the chance to thank everyone who donated us money and spread the word. To anyone thinking of taking part we see it as a brilliant opportunity to not only raise money, but to make some lasting memories that we can look back on. It has been a fantastic experience and we look forward to raising money for the Wood Street Mission again!