Somerset

Wedmore YFC

October 2009

A fabulous £2000 was raised by Wedmore YFC at a Welly Barn Dance for RABI as part of the Welly Week activities across the country. This was a major boost to the campaign and a big thank you to everyone invovled.

Three Peaks Challenge

September 2009

The team of Simon Derby, James Dennis, Alastair Deighton, Alex Johnston and Lucy Back from Smiths Gore in Taunton commenced the challenge at Ben Nevis at 08.55 on Saturday. Ben Nevis was particularly challenging due to the weather conditions which saw a steady rain fall turn to snow and near blizzard conditions at the top! Although we have some photos in sunshine, the rain stayed with us – every time Ali was going to take his coat off the rain started again!

Ben Nevis is approximately a 10 mile round trip and took our team 4hrs 40 mins to complete. Simon and James were striding out in front with Alastair, Ali and Lucy jogging the last mile or so back to the car! We kept in touch with the outside world and phoned one of our colleagues to sing ‘Climb every mountain’ to her on the descent to keep up morale!

Luckily we had hired a car so we made (very) swift progress to Scafell Pike to start our ascent at 19.00. We were blessed with the weather and the views despite the short but very steep climb. The terrain was tricky, particularly with fading light on the descent but we completed in 3hrs 30 mins to drive overnight to Snowdon.

Again, we made good time and even managed to stop for breakfast (we don’t recommend McDonalds at 01.45!) before arriving at 3am. Soon after several other vehicles arrived and we decided to start our ascent ahead of schedule at 03.45. Snowdon had the most varied and challenging terrain, particularly as we were all feeling tired and sore by then. We climbed through the clouds to arrive at the summit at 06.00. It seemed odd to think that we had already climbed a mountain at 6am on a Sunday!

We celebrated each the summit of each peak with a bottle of champagne which definitely helped out descent! Total time taken was 23hrs 09 mins to complete the 25.5 miles and around 11,500ft ascent. We were all glad of a good cooked breakfast on Sunday morning!

Our timings were just right as the emergency services were airlifting people from Snowdon on Saturday.

The challenge was undertaken in aid of Children’s Hospice South West and RABI and raised £1,114 in total for the charities.

            

Down on the Farm in Somerset

June 2009

On a glorious sunny day, Nick and Ruth Strange opened up their Beech Hayes Farm in Somerset to visitors as part of the national Open Farm Sunday. With everything on display from turkeys, chickens and ducks through to Gloucester Old Spot and Tamworth pigs, it was a perfect educational experience for local children. The afternoon was topped off with a hog roast and BBQ serving their own home produced meat, and the indomitable ladies of Smeatharpe WI manning a cakes and tea stand.

Somerset Garden

June 2009

Bill and Margaret Elliott opened their beautiful garden in Stembridge, Kingsbury Episcopi, to visitors in aid of RABI, with tea, scones and home-made cakes a-plenty. It was a typical idyllic summer day in Somerset... right down to the showers that unfortunately refused to budge from overhead.

There is something particularly British about the sight of people huddled outside in macs, happily munching on jam scones! The garden would be stunning in whatever the weather though, and the afternoon raised £327.

Tel: 01285 712440 Mobile: 07860 507980 Email: suzie.paton@rabi.org.uk