A team of Travel Village Group staff and tour operator partners are taking part in a challenging mountain trek in Wales to raise funds for charity Reuben’s Retreat.
The Welsh 3000s Challenge – which the group is calling the Welsh ThRRee Thousands Challenge in a nod to its chosen charity – involves hiking to the summits of all 15 peaks over 3,000 feet in Snowdonia within 24 hours.
It is the first physical charity challenge Team Travel Village Group has taken on for five years. In 2019 the group took on the UK’s National Three Peaks Challenge, raising £4,600 for Trinity Palliative Care.
This year’s challenge, from June 23 to June 25, will be taken by Travel Village’s group content manager Jess Clayton, marketing executive Layna McMoran, cruise specialist Jenny Jones, and cruise specialist Lisa Ramsay.
They will be joined by Stacey Kirkpatrick, senior fundraiser, Reuben’s Retreat; Jenny Wade, business relationship lead UK & Ireland, Explora Journeys; Carrie Grant, senior partnership manager UK & Ireland, Intrepid Travel; Danielle Radford, key account manager, Cosmos; and Robin Griffiths, Midlands business development manager, APT.
Shannon Coulding, fundraising champion from Reuben’s Retreat, will drive the support vehicle.
The trek aims to raise at least £1,000 for the charity, which is dedicated to supporting families of bereaved children and families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness.
Already the group has raised more than £1,500 in donations for Reuben’s Retreat since announcing its charity partnership in December. This was matched by business owners Phil and Paula Nuttall, bringing the full total to more than £3,000.
Clayton said: “We’ve always supported Reuben’s Retreat where we can, but 2024 is the first year that we’ve committed to supporting them as our primary charity partner.
“Reuben’s Retreat has an incredible team, running a very special place, and we cannot wait to help them in any way that we can. Knowing that the money we raise will help support their work – whether that’s therapy sessions for a child, a touch of respite for a parent, or the support of grief counsellors – will power us through the challenge.”
The total walking distance of this year’s charity challenge is around 30 miles, from Pen y Pass to Bwlch y Ddeufaen, but it is particularly demanding due to the elevation of the trek.
It starts with a hike up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest peak in Wales, and wild camping overnight. On the second day, the team will cross the Snowdon range, starting with the Crib Goch ridge, followed by the Glyder range, Bristly Ridge and then Tryfan. From there, the team will drop down to Llyn Ogwen for supplier and then head into the Carnedds for the last 20km to the final peak of Foel Fras before finishing at Bwlch y Ddeufaen.
The aim is to complete the trek within 24 hours, subject to weather conditions.
To support their cause, go to: rb.gy/hkluws