This post is about charity and the challenge of a lifetime!
Charity is important to us here at Pure Cloud. Our founder, Darren Lake, has always been passionate about supporting good causes. And that’s carried over to his son Jamie, who’s now our CEO.
In a family business like ours, continuity of values is everything. This blog is all about that.
In August this year, Darren and Jamie are taking on a massive challenge for charity. They’re off to the Alps to climb the Matterhorn. At 4,478 metres (nearly 15,000 feet!), it’s one of the highest peaks in Europe. The goal is to raise £30,000 for Help Us Help Others (HUHO), Pure Cloud’s charity of choice.
About HUHO
HUHO is a charity with a difference. It’s dedicated to helping anyone in need of support, whether due to sickness, disability or financial disadvantage, with a particular focus on people who can’t find help from public authorities. This gives HUHO a broad brief to do amazing work for all sorts of people.
What sets HUHO apart is something simple but profound. It’s staffed completely by volunteers. What this means is that 100% of donations go straight to the cause. This is all too rare in the charity sector, and it gives donors the reassurance every penny they contribute matters.
You can find out more about HUHO here:
https://help-us-help-others.org/
About the challenge
In business as in life, Darren and Jamie have always loved a challenge. Outdoor pursuits are a shared passion – and this challenge will push them to the limit! Darren has wanted to climb the Matterhorn for years. And after hitting his 50s, he decided it was now or never. He put the idea to Jamie, who said yes in an instant!
They originally had this planned for 2020, but then COVID came along and forced them to postpone. This has given them plenty of extra time to prepare, but it’s only increased the urgency of the cause they’re doing it for.
The aftermath of COVID has been devastating for so many people. Not only are more people struggling in all sorts of ways, but public services are overwhelmed by the demand. The goal is to reach £30,000, every penny of which will go to HUHO.
The training regime
The Matterhorn is a beautiful sight. It’s a perfectly formed peak at the head of the Zermatt Valley in Switzerland, surrounded by stunning scenery. But it’s a steep, unforgiving ascent, requiring a lot of fitness, concentration and care.
This demands serious training, and both Darren and Jamie have been devoting themselves to exactly that.
They’re on personal training regimes. This means healthy eating with set protein levels, and lots of cardio work down the gym. But they’ve also been training in the great outdoors.
They’ve now hiked thousands of miles in preparation, in England, Wales and Scotland. Most of this is in the Peak District, but also the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe range, Tryfan, Crib Goch, Sinister Gulley, and Devil’s Kitchen in Snowdonia (the only thing better than the names is the scenery!)
From now on, they’ll be climbing every week in Snowdonia to get ready, until they’re off to the Alps in August. To acclimatise, they’ll climb three peaks around Mont Blanc, before finally taking on the Matterhorn on the 11th.
A message from Darren
“Climbing the Matterhorn is a long-term ambition of mine. When I hit my 50s, I figured it was time to get a move on! This won’t be easy – nothing worth doing ever is! But the most important thing in all this is the charity.
HUHO does amazing work with all sorts of people who need help. And because the donations all go to helping those people, the money goes that bit further. If we hit our target, it’ll improve so many people’s lives. It’s a privilege to help towards that goal.”
few years and more importantly playing our part in giving children the platform to play the nations favourite sport.”
A message from Jamie
“This is a huge challenge, but I honestly can’t wait. HUHO is really close to my heart, and I do love to push myself. So when Dad first suggested this, I couldn’t really say no! HUHO could do so much with £30k, so I encourage everyone to donate whatever you can!”
How you can help
This challenge is a big deal for Darren and Jamie personally. But HUHO is what it’s all about. They do so much great work, and if we hit the £30,000 target they’ll be able to do even more.
You can donate at their JustGiving page. Any donation will help – and 100% will go to the people who need it. We’ll be posting regular updates on their progress, so keep an eye out for our social feeds. In the meantime, you can find out more and donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Matterhorn-Summit
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