Team members from SMART Balustrades climbed to the summit of Mount Snowdon in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, raising a total of £1,892 for the organisation – £892 higher than the group’s target.
The handrail and balustrade specialist firm, which is based in Burntwood, Staffordshire, was co-founded by brothers David and Jonathan Hough, who led the 10 member-strong SMART team up the 3,560-foot peak last month.
Mount Snowdon is Wales’ highest mountain and together with Ben Nevis in Scotland and Scafell Pike in England, makes up the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – often referred to as the Three Peaks.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity is part of the Birmingham Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and is the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre, caring for sick children and young people up to 16 years old.
Jonathan Hough, contracts director of SMART Balustrades, said: “It’s daunting enough for anyone going into hospital but even more so for children. The hospital raises funds to enhance the experience of patients by providing state of the art medical equipment and facilities, and creating a child-friendly environment. £645 alone could pay for a Glideaway bed so families can stay the night together.
“We’re delighted to be able to support a fantastic organisation that is local to us and close to our hearts. We smashed our £1,000 target and would like to give a huge thank you to all those who supported us on our trek!
“The hike was much more difficult than expected – it’s certainly no walk in the park! We took the Pyg Track up and down which is, in parts, very steep and rocky – but luckily, we had perfect weather for it.
Tom Dopierala, production manager for SMART and experienced hiker, added: “The whole day was definitely a wonderful team building experience. We had the opportunity to bond away from our usual work environment and experience the outstanding location and its spectacular views. A great bunch of people took on the challenge and we all had a good laugh whilst doing it.
“Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and the view from the summit was stunning. We’re all looking forward to our next challenge which will be Ben Nevis in summer 2022.”
Dearbhla Craddock, corporate partnerships officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to every single one of the Smart Balustrades team who took on this incredible challenge for us. We’ve been blown away by their determination, dedication and the amazing funds they raised which will go on to help us do more for the 90,000 sick kids our hospital treats every year.”
