Ain’t no mountain high enough for Trafford Comic Relief fundraisers (From Messenger Newspapers)

Ain’t no mountain high enough for Trafford Comic Relief fundraisers

10:00am Friday 8th March 2013 in News

FORTY Trafford school children took charity fundraising to new heights on Wednesday, when they climbed Mt Everest without ever leaving Trafford.

The Year five and six pupils from St Alphonsus Primary School and Seymour Park Primary School, both in Old Trafford, scaled the climbing wall at Chill Factore no less than 885 times between them, to represent the 8,848m ascent to the peak of Everest. The towering feat raised money for Comic Relief.

The idea was conceived by Leon Pietrzak, youth involvement officer for Trafford Housing Trust, the area’s social housing provider.

Leon has been working closely with both local schools on a series of sporting activities made possible by Comic Relief funding.

He explained: “In the aftermath of the Olympics, Trafford Housing Trust was lucky enough to get funding from Comic Relief, in order to set up a mini sporting academy for school children.

The funding has paid for expert coaching in everything from volleyball to basketball.

“We came up with the challenge at Chill Factore to thank Comic Relief for their support. We hope to swell the Comic Relief coffers, while having an amazingly fun and active afternoon.

"Chill Factore has been kind enough to provide all the facilities and staff for free, making this challenge possible.”

Morwenna Angove, chief executive at Chill Factore said: “We’re big supporters of Comic Relief, and the attempt to climb Everest in a single afternoon, and then sledge down the other side, is exactly the kind of towering fundraising effort that we like to support.

We’ll be right behind the school children every step of the way.”

This year’s Red Nose Day will be held on March 15.

It marks the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day, which has raised more than £600 million, helping to change lives in the UK and in Africa.