A TEESDALE air force recruit is to take on the UK’s three biggest peaks in a bid to raise £5,000 for good causes.
Barnard Castle’s Jack Broderick will join ten others climbing Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike in 24 hours to gather funds for the Royal Air Force 100 appeal.
Funds raised from the gruelling challenge will go to four charities including the Royal Air Force Museum and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund which helps forces families.
Mr Broderick is based at MOD St Athan, near Barry Island, in South Wales, and he and a group of colleagues decided to take on the challenge on a quiet evening in barracks. The former Staindrop Academy pupil said: “It’s quite a remote area and there is not too much to do on a weekend so we thought we’d give it a go.”
The 18-year-old does regular training exercises up 2,200ft Pen y Fan, in the Brecon Beacons, and hoped these would serve him in good stead.
A special baton will travel with the team on the climbs to mark the RAF’s 100th birthday. It will be presented to the queen at Horseguards Parade, in London, in July.
Mr Broderick said: “The privilege of carrying the baton is a main focus for us all. It’s knowing it will be being delivered to the queen after we’ve carried it to the highest points of the UK.
“And if we could get more than £5,000 that would brilliant.” Preparation efforts for the triple climb are already underway with bag packs at supermarkets in south Wales due this week. Mr Broderick added: “We’re trying to share it across social media to get some more high profile people to share it around different RAF stations – just so we can get as much money as we can.”
The squad of 11 will set off from MOD St Athan on June 15 and begin climbing Ben Nevis at 6.30pm with the aim of finishing off the other two peaks the following day.
Donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/raf100batonthreepeaks.
