Smiles. Whether it’s walkers grinning as they reach the highest point in Wales or the smiles that break out on the faces of patients who have just been treated to a musical reminisce session or are playing in a fully adapted playground for children with prosthetic limbs.

This pretty much sums up the result of the Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) Charity’s hiking challenges organised in conjunction with Large Outdoors.

For the last three years the charity has held an annual Snowdon Challenge climb to raise funds to enhance patient care across Birmingham and we’ve been delighted to be involved.

According to the charity the Snowdon event has become one of their best in terms of the number of participants and the amount raised. This year 32 hikers took up the Snowdon climb gauntlet and were able to raise almost £4,000 for the charity.

The fundraising team’s Stacey Taylor explains: “The brilliant thing about doing an event for a community NHS Trust charity like ours is that the money can go to so many different places and services.

“Many will be happy to raise money for the General Fund which can be accessed by all services under the charity’s umbrella. Alternatively they can specify a particular service or ward as we cover everything from  special school nurses to intermediate care services, learning disabilities centres through to brain injury, stroke and amputee rehabilitation services, and more!

“For the 2019 climb, funds were raised for a new garden for the Sheldon Palliative Care Unit at West Heath Hospital, a sensory suite and improvements to the paediatric clinic waiting area at the Dental Hospital in addition to money donated to the General Fund.

“The Snowdon Challenge is hugely important to the charity and is now an annual fixture that is getting bigger and better each year. In fact, next year we’re adding another event with Large Outdoors that will give walkers the incredible experience of ascending the mountain after dark on Halloween with the aim of reaching the summit by midnight.”

So, you might ask, just what is so special about an ascent to Snowdon’s 3,560 foot summit. Well having guided a huge number of groups over the years Snowdon is, without doubt, a tough challenge but for those who don’t mind putting some effort in to get walking fit before they embark on the trek, it can be immensely satisfying and fun.

Breathing in pure mountain air and being surrounded by nature and spectacular scenery which only gets better as we gradually gain height can more than make up for any grumbling lower limbs. Once people reach the summit and sit down to absorb the achievement, that’s when the grins break out. Particularly if you’re walking in a group where there’s a shared goal such as raising money for the same cause, the sense of camaraderie and ‘we can do this’ is second-to-none.

For more information on the BCHC Snowdon Challenge events 

https://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/about-us/our-charity/events/.

If you work for a charity and would like to talk to us about a future charity challenge please contact the office.