The Sunday Post: Hospice News

They climbed the
world’s highest
mountain — in Glasgow

By Margaret Clayton

EIGHT OFFICERS from the Scottish Prison Service equalled Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest climb in aid of CHAS.

The snowy peak of Everest is 29,035 feet high — so each of the eight men took it in turns to clock up the distance on Versa-Climber machines in the Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow, while their “ground support” team collected cash from shoppers.

Vince Gunn, Steve Begen, Gary Coupe, Alan Keith, Dan Munro and Alex Archibald are all PE instructors at Polmont Young Offenders Institution.

The intrepid climbers at the Buchanan Galleries with their ground support team of family and friends.

Andy McAllister is a PE instructor at Glenochil Prison and Kevin Fyfe is estate manager at Cornton Vale Women’s Prison.
Help

After reading about The Sunday Post CHAS appeal, the PE instructors decided to help raise money for Robin House, which is to be built on the shores of Loch Lomond.

“Pushing your body to the limit is hard work, but if you’re doing it for a good cause you don’t mind the aches and pains next day,” he told us. “The Versa-Climber is the ultimate workout. Shoppers were very generous when they realised we were doing this for CHAS.”

Now Steve and his team are planning a combined record-breaking attempt on, not one, but several of the world’s top summits at Christmas — and CHAS will benefit again.

“It’s our job to keep prisoners fit. But we all enjoy sport ourselves and like to keep strong and active. It took us five and a half hours to climb Everest as a team, but every inch was worth it.”

The PE instructors gathered Ł1178 for our appeal.

You can e-mail us at: hospice@sundaypost.com