The Good Shepherd team taking on the ‘Lakeland 3000’s challenge – climbing the four highest peaks in the Lake District in the space of 36 hours – are halfway through their epic journey!
Yesterday, Good Shepherd CEO Tom Hayden, Housing First Key Worker Paul Burns, and photographer Stuart Manley, who works for the Jask Creative Agency who have been long-term supporters of the charity, climbed both Scafell Pike and Scafell.
Today, they will be joined by Good Shepherd Food & Advice Project Manager Lucy Cox to head up Helvellyn and Skiddaw, all as part of the Miles Into Meals campaign being highlighted during June.
Miles Into Meals is the charity’s main fundraising campaign for 2023, encouraging people to take part in some form of activity whilst raising some money for the Good Shepherd’s food service, which continues to underpin the wide range of services helping people who are homeless or vulnerable across Wolverhampton.
“I’m a little bit sore this morning but we’re ready to go and kick start the second leg,” Tom told Rakeem Omar on BBC WM’s Breakfast Show this morning.
“It was a bit of a tricky climb in places yesterday and the descent was a bit of a nightmare but we just had to remember why we are doing this and keep pushing through.
“It was perfect weather which was a blessing and a curse – the views at the top were fantastic because it was so clear but it was also baking hot so making the summit in that heat was a bit of a challenge!
“We’ve just got the mentality of knowing why we are doing this, raising money for the charity, and we are going to get through it one way or another.”
The cost of living crisis has seen more people needing to access the Good Shepherd and raising funds for the food service continues to play a crucial role in an overall package of support.
Tom added: “We see the realities of the Cost of Living crisis, and Wolverhampton was experiencing all this before the pandemic.
“All this has done is push people further into poverty and destitution and brought new people into experiencing poverty.
“We see the reality of this, day-in day-out, and this is just our way of helping to raise some funds for the charity.
“That is why we have launched Miles Into Meals, and hopefully it is something our supporters will be able to get involved in as well.”
To support the ‘Lakeland 3000’s challenge, and help the Good Shepherd turn Miles Into Meals, donations can be made at the fundraising page by clicking here.
Here are some pictures of Day One from Stuart Manley Photography.
