A small team of climbers scaled England’s highest mountain to raise vital funds for two much-needed defibrillators in North Tyneside.
The life-saving devices have now been installed at East End Youth & Community Centre in North Shields and at St Mary’s Church in Monkseaton.
Ross Gladwin, who is a member of the congregation at St Mary’s, climbed the 10 highest peaks in the Lake District, including Skafell Pike, which stands at 978 metres (3,209ft). He was joined by friends Ryan Coe and Jack Parker for the challenge, over a 10-month period.
The team raised £2,536, which paid for the defibrillators and will also cover the cost of training 20 people in how to use them and in CPR. The remaining funds will be used to maintain the devices over the next five to ten years.
Ross and his wife Abby were keen to improve access to defibrillators in North Tyneside following the loss of Abby’s nana, Maggie Chambers, who lived in Monkseaton.
Abby, who also attends St Mary’s, said: “My nana was healthy but she suffered a blood clot. A defibrillator was available but unfortunately, she couldn’t be saved.
“It stressed the importance of having accessible defibrillators in the community and it made us identify other areas where they could be located.
“St Mary’s is a popular church and has a busy hall which is used by the community, so we felt this was an important location. It has been installed on the outside of the building where it is more visible and accessible.”
The East End Youth & Community Centre in North Shields was another obvious location for the couple. Abby runs a theatre and dance academy there, which is attended by 300 students, while Ross presides over a kickboxing and sports medicine clinic at the venue.
The fundraising mission was quite an adventure, taking in some of the Lake District’s most picturesque and challenging climbs, including Helvellyn and Skiddaw.
Abby continued: “I didn’t take part because I was pregnant at the time, but as a family we do a lot of hiking and this was an interesting challenge that appealed to Ross, as well as Ryan and Jack.
“I was part of the support team and they did incredibly well. We are very grateful to everyone who contributed and made this fundraising possible. It is reassuring to have these two defibrillators in place.”