Everest challenge for The Leanne Fund

Charles Dewhurst, former employee of Duncan Mackay and Sons Ltd, is undertaking a trek to Everest base camp at 17,600 ft (or ultimately 19,600 ft where his insurance runs out. Camp 1), to raise funds for The Leanne Fund and St Abbs Independent Lifeboat.

Fifty-six-year-old Charles who now works for Scottish Water’s alliance partner, Caledonia Water Alliance, is in training to climb higher than base camp on Mount Everest in December.

Charles said: “My friend (and former work Colleague), Willie Mitchell’s daughter, Leanne, passed away from Cystic Fibrosis. She was only 21. I want to raise money for the charity set up in her memory.

“The charity provides funding to support for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers in the Highlands, Grampians and Western Isles.”

Chrisetta Mitchell of The Leanne Fund said: “We wish Charles all the very best for his amazing challenge and we are so grateful to him for choosing to support The Leanne Fund.”

Bottles of Scottish Water’s drinking water are being used to help Charles train and so he has been carrying around water to replicate the weight of the rucksack he will have to carry up the mountain.

Charles trains every day and his fitness regime, at Anytime Fitness in Bishopbriggs, is gruelling to ensure he is fit enough to climb the 19,800 feet he aims for.

The height is a little over six Ben Nevis’ stacked on top of each other.

Charles said: “Not so long ago I would have laughed at the idea that the words fitness, gym and Charles appeared in the same sentence, now I find using the weight of bottled Scottish Water a perfect way to replicate the load I will be carrying.”

Scottish Water’s Alliance Manager, Gerry Kelly said: “Scottish Water is really pleased that Charles has found another use for our bottled water. We’ve also given him a smaller Scottish Water bottle so he can drink some of our water during his trek in Nepal.”

Further details of the trek can be found at www.trektoeverest.co.uk

You can support his fundraising by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/teams/climbtoeverest