Mountainous challenge for eight fathers

SIX dads from St Anne's CE Primary School, Lydgate,taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge. From left, Sean Wilson, Lee Dyer, Richard Taylor, Jonny Simpson, Steve Rigby and Lee Renner

EIGHT dads are going mountain high for their children's school.

They will take on the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in a testing 24-hour challenge to raise funds for St Anne's CE Primary School, in Lydgate, on May 6 and 7.

Sean Wilson, Lee Dyer, Danny Cocking, Jonny Simpson, Carl Cross, Steven Rigby, Steven Wilde and Lee Renner are currently in training for the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge which will involve them climbing a total of 10,000ft.

Fellow dad Richard Taylor will be responsible for transporting the dynamic dads to and from Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis.

Sean Wilson, whose sons Oliver and George attend the school, said: "We're training most weekends doing 10 to 15 mile walks in preparation.

"We all feel we're fit enough its just the mental toughness and the arduous journeys in between.

"There won't be much time to spare between the locations and we reckon we will have to make each ascent and descent in four or five hours to make it.

"Obviously you can't account for the traffic or the weather and we have a lot of kit to carry to be prepared for every eventuality."

The hardy hikers hope to raise at least £1,000 for school funds ­- they've achieved over 3800 so far ­- and they've been consulting the school council for ideas on what to spend it on.

"We wanted to raise funds as money for schools is tight at the moment and we wanted to also raise that plight," said Sean.

"We're hoping the money will go towards something like an adventure playground. The PTA has been speaking to the school council representatives and it seems that's the sort of thing they would like."

Local Lydgate and Grotton firms have also been helping out the cause.

Stanley Odgen Butchers, the White Hart, the Co-op and The Face and Body Shop have all donated cash or prizes and Relish has created a limited edition "Three Peak" sandwich, donating 50p from every one sold.

To sponsor the dads go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/st-annes-dads.