North Pole Trek for Children’s
Hospice
[Media
Release – 20 March 2006]
If you’ve
been thinking we’ve had a bit of a cold spell recently then spare a thought or
two for a group of local men who are about to embark on a 100 mile walk to the
North Pole to raise money for children’s charities including Keech Cottage
Children’s Hospice Service.
Leaving the
Included in
the group are three partners from global law firm Clifford Chance, Mark
Stewart, 47, from Hatfield, Alan Inglis, 45, from Harpenden and Michael Bates,
38, who was brought up in Berkhamstead but now lives in Hampstead. Also joining
the challenge is Chris Heminway, 43, an independent financial consultant from
Harpenden.
When asked
to explain what the challenge means to him, Mark Stewart said: “A walk to the
North Pole is an opportunity for me to experience an environment under threat
from climatic change, a reason for me to get fitter, a challenge, something to
aim for and an adventure. Or, as my wife puts it, a mid life crisis but cheaper
than a divorce!”
Making the
challenge much more than this though is the fact that all four trekkers are
also raising a substantial amount of sponsorship money for children’s
charities. The three Clifford Chance partners are raising money for two
charities, local children’s hospice service, Keech Cottage and The Place2Be
whilst Chris Hemmingway has also decided to raise money for Keech Cottage along
with Save the Children. The group of trekkers are meeting all the costs of the
trip themselves and so 100% of all donations and sponsorship money will go
directly to their chosen charities.
Alan Inglis
said: “The idea of the trek was originally conceived as a challenge for the
sake of personal achievement but we soon saw that this was a wonderful
opportunity to raise money for some good causes. Clifford Chance has promised
to match anything Mark, Michael and myself raise in sponsorship up to £30,000
so if we manage to make this much it could mean £30,000 each for Keech Cottage
and The Place2Be!”
Michael Bates
added: “When people ask me why I’m doing this trip I’m often not sure what to
say other than it seemed like a good idea at the time! But getting involved in
raising money for these two worthy charities gives it much more meaning. We
chose Keech Cottage as one of our charities because they support terminally
children and their families in the area where we all live or were brought up,
and because when we looked into the charity we were impressed to see that such
a high levels of their funds go directly on patient care.”
The group
have been learning more about what the trek involves: the hours needed to set
up tents and melt ice for water, the temperatures of minus 25 -35 and risk of
frost bite, the stretches of open water they will need to navigate and
generally what it takes to live on the ice. As well as carrying themselves
along the route, each person will also need to drag a sledge containing their
personal equipment and a share of the supplies needed for the entire group.
None of the
four local men have ever done anything like this before and to prepare themselves
for the extreme conditions they will face they have been out training in earnest.
As part of this and to get used to dragging the weight of a sledge they have all
been out walking in Hertfordshire pulling car tyres behind them!
Alan Inglis
said: “We’re all out at weekends tyre pulling and the competitive edge has
already kicked in, with people trying to pull more tyres or walk faster than
each other. I’m sure that anyone who sees us thinks we’re a bit mad but at
least it’s helping us to get prepared.”
The Clifford
Chance group have been pledged nearly £17,000 towards their target of £30,000.
If anyone would like to add their support to this they can visit the ‘donate’
pages of the challenge website at www.northpole2006.com
or send a cheque payable to ‘Clifford Chance – North Pole Challenge’ to North
Pole Challenge 2006, Po Box 464, Harpenden AL5 9AZ. Chris Hemmingway has also
raised around £5000 so far and if anyone would like to add to his total they
can do the same as above but make their cheque payable to ‘Heminway – North
Pole Challenge’.
To find out
more about Keech Cottage, the only children’s hospice service for the whole of
Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, go to www.pasque.org
or for more ideas about how you can help call the charity on 01582 497849.
Ends
Press
Enquiries: Please contact Catherine Mahmutaj, Communications Manager at The
Pasque Charity via email at cmahmutaj@pasque.org
or call on 01582 497874.
Notes to Editors:
Keech Cottage
§
Keech
Cottage Children’s Hospice is run by The Pasque Charity and supports around 150
families from across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire who are facing the loss of
their child. The children cared for by Keech Cottage have been diagnosed with a
life-limiting condition and most are expected to die in childhood. Many have
progressive, degenerative conditions and their health deteriorates slowly over
many years.
§
Staff
at Keech Cottage offer help, support and friendship to the whole family,
throughout the child’s illness and after their death, for as long as it is
needed. Care is available either in the charity’s bright and comfortable
hospice near
§
The
aim at Keech Cottage is to enable families to make the most of the precious
time they have left with their child. There is ample provision at Keech Cottage
for play and recreation, as well as specialist facilities for therapies and
learning. All of these help to ensure Keech Cottage is a place for living.
§
To
run Keech Cottage this year will cost almost £2m. As a charity, Keech Cottage
relies on the generosity and goodwill of the local community to raise over 80%
of its annual running costs.
Clifford Chance
§
Clifford
Chance is a global law firm with offices in 19 countries. Mark Stewart, Alan
Inglis and Michael Bates are all partners in the
§
The
firm is structured around six global practice areas: Banking and Finance;
Capital Markets; Corporate/M&A; Litigation and Dispute Resolution; Real Estate;
Tax, Pensions and Employment. As the world's largest law firm, they embrace
responsibilities that extend beyond their client work. Through an active
programme of pro bono, arts and charitable initiatives, people working at the
company are encouraged to develop strong links with the communities in which
they work.
The Place2Be
§
The
Place2Be helps children in primary schools who are sad, angry, worried or
lonely to gain confidence, manage their worries and be themselves. The Place2Be
is for all children in 92 schools and there is no stigma attached. Parental
divorce, deprivation, abandonment, long-term family illness, bereavement,
domestic violence and abuse: These are some of the difficulties The Place2Be
helps children deal with. To find out more go to www.theplace2be.org.uk.
The North Pole Challenge 2006
§
To
find out more about the group’s challenge including more information about each
of the participants mentioned in this press release go to www.northpole2006.com.
Photography
Photography
to accompany this story is available.
▪
Clifford1
– features the four participants walking and pulling their tyres behind them.
Featured from left to right are: Mark Stewart, Alan Inglis, Michael Bates and
Chris Heminway
▪
Clifford2
– features the four participants crouched down with their tyres in front of
them, in front of Keech Cottage. Featured from left to right are: Mark Stewart,
Michael Bates, Chris Heminway and Alan Inglis
Contacts
All four
local participants are happy to talk to members of the press directly and
interviews can be arranged via Catherine Mahmutaj at Keech Cottage on 01582
497874.