Mountain of a challenge for Fenland friends who face climbing Britain's three highest peaks

Two friends are taking on a mountain of a challenge to raise money for a charity which supports children and their families who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Mel Mattless from Upwell and Jo Butler from Wisbech are taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in June when they will attempt to climb Britain’s three highest peaks – Ben Nevis, Scafel Pike and Snowdon – in just 24 hours.

The pair have been in training and are part of a bigger team, with eight others based in Essex, who will be tackling the marathon climbs in aid of the Indee Rose Trust, which was set up by Russell Dobson and his partner Jane Allen, who lost their daughter Indee to a brain tumour 10 years ago.

Mel has known the couple through friends for a number of years and has carried out previous fundraising efforts for the charity, completing a gruelling 29-mile hike last year.

Among the support given by the charity are bespoke ‘treasure’ boxes, which contain toys, activities and treats individually filled for each child. Most of the children are referred to the charity through Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. They cost from around £500 each, depending on what the child likes.

Mel explained: “There are 10 of us and we hope to raise enough to provide at least one treasure box each.

“I must admit it is quite a challenge, Jo and I do a lot of fitness classes together so we are physically fit, but it is the timing that concerns me.

“We have five hours to climb Ben Nevis, then we travel to Scafel Pike where have four hours to complete the climb, before getting back in the van and heading to Mount Snowdon, where we again have four hours to complete the challenge.

“That has got me a bit panicky, but we are cracking on with our training now, and hopefully we will be able to do it.”

Mel and Jo will set off for Scotland and Ben Nevis on Friday, June 19, in time for a 6am start on the Saturday.

They will then head down to the Lake District to climb Scafell Pike on the same day and then it’s off to Wales ready to climb Snowdon on Sunday, June 21.

They have a couple of fundraising events organised to help boost their fundraising.

The first is this Saturday (February 15) at Wisbech St Mary Sports and Community Centre from 2pm – four hours of fitness classes, everyone is welcome. It is £10 to enter on the door and participants can choose how much they want to do.

On Saturday, March 28, at Mendis in Wisbech, there is a Bond-themed evening, tickets £10 from: 3peaksjune2020@gmail.com or via the Facebook page: @3peaks2020indeerose