FURNITURE store work mates were still smiling as they finished a gruelling 50,000-step challenge, completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks and raising more than £1,200 for colleague Gina Russell’s granddaughter Abby in her fight against neuroblastoma.
Paul Olivier, owner of Oliviers furniture shops, along with daughter Eleanor, store manager Shane Carter and Hubert and Ollie Lebanski, who work at the Richmond store, completed the 24-mile trek earlier this month.
Ms Russell said: “Paul, Shane, Hubert, Ashley and Eleanor set off at 7am on Saturday. The men completed it a little after 6pm. Eleanor, who is only 12, completed the first two peaks which was an achievement for her.
“We are so proud of them all and are very grateful to them and all who supported them.
“We raised approximately £1,200 with money still coming in.”
The money will be split equally between Abby’s fight against neuroblastoma and the Make a Wish Foundation, which has recently sent Abigail and her family on an exciting four-day adventure to London.
But the fundraising Oliviers’ antics didn’t stop there.
On Sunday, September 24, Mr Olivier’s wife Emma underwent a drastic hair cut in public to raise even more funds.
She had at least eight inches of her luscious locks cut off while sitting in the window of the furniture store. The chopped hair will be sent to the Little Princess Trust to make wigs for young people who are battling cancer.
Ms Russell added there are also plans for a sponsored sea dip in October.
Anyone who wishes to make a donation should visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/oliviersyorkshire3peakchallengetofightagainstcancer.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
