Gateley braves elements in latest charity initiative

17th November 2011

Torrential rain and thick mist couldn’t deter a team from the Manchester office of Gateley from raising nearly £4,000 for a local children’s charity.

An intrepid team of 20 – made up of solicitors, support staff, secretaries and trainees – took part in a trek up and down Snowdon in challenging conditions to raise money for the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT).

In addition, Michael Richards and Tom Kershaw – two trainee solicitors at the top 50, national law firm – completed the Liverpool Marathon to raise money for the cause and Robyn Dyer – also a trainee solicitor – completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London.

The Cheshire-based charity is the office’s nominated charity for the year and provides holidays and activities for terminally ill, chronically sick, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the North West. To date, it has raised nearly £8,000 for CAFT.

Liz Aboud, real estate partner at Gateley in Manchester, said: “CAFT is a charity that is close to our hearts and we are very impressed with how hard everyone has worked to raise money and take part in the activities. The challenges haven’t been easy, but they’ve been very rewarding for everyone involved.

“The walk up – and down – Snowdon was completed in torrential rain and mist, but everybody enjoyed it and there was a really good spirit amongst the team. Special mention also goes to Michael, Tom and Robyn – they all made a huge effort and raised over £1,000 between them.”

The Snowdon challenge was the perfect preparation for Liz, who is completing the Death Mountain Trek in Costa Rica in November, also in aid of CAFT. There are also plans for the ‘Team Challenge’ to become an annual event, with the team now setting their sights on Scafell Pike next year.

The outdoor activities were part of Gateley's national CSR programme. The Manchester team recently took part in the Young Enterprise scheme, where 28 solicitors visited a local school to deliver a programme of work-related learning activities. It is also planning further activities to raise a £1,000 to sponsor a Christmas party for CAFT in early December.