A team of 20 walkers and 10 volunteer drivers tackled the country’s three highest mountains: Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales, in under 24 hours.
The team started at 6am on Saturday 6 September at the base of Ben Nevis, reaching the summit in just under two and a half hours. After completing the first mountain, they drove south to Scafell Pike, starting their ascent in the evening and finishing just over three hours later. They then continued their drive across the border to Snowdon, beginning their final ascent in the early hours of Sunday morning and finishing the climb just under four hours later, with a total time of 23 hours and 23 minutes.
The Three Peaks Challenge was the ‘summit’ of a larger, two-year fundraising effort, which has seen the charity team exceed their original target of £20,000 for each charity.
This fundraising initiative, led by Leonardo trainees, culminated in a special celebration at Yeovil Rugby Club on Friday 19th September where they presented cheques totalling £42,000 to the two Yeovil charities. The funds will support the invaluable work of both charities, which have strong ties to the local community.
Leonardo volunteer, Tom Kirkland, highlighted why the charities were chosen. “Many people at our Yeovil site volunteer for YFW Blood Bikes, and they visit our business regularly to help us understand how they get urgent supplies to hospitals. Andy’s Man Club is a charity Leonardo has supported across the UK, and it recently set up a branch in Yeovil, so we were really keen to raise awareness of the mental health support they provide to men,” explained Tom.
The ambitious challenge was organised by James Wan and Social Lead on the event, Sam Scott, who saw it as an opportunity to develop his leadership skills.
Talking about his experience, Sam said: “The views from the top of each of the mountains were stunning, but we couldn’t stop too long to enjoy them as we had to keep going. We managed to complete the walk in just over 23 hours, covering 23 miles with a total ascent of 3,064m. I learned a lot from this experience and feel much more confident about managing projects like this in the future.”
The Leonardo Yeovil charity team has organised over 90 events over the past year, from merchandise sales to quiz nights and site runs, all to raise awareness and funds for the chosen charities.
Yeovil Freewheelers, also known as ‘YFW Blood Bikes’, is a group of emergency volunteer motorcyclists who serve hospitals across Somerset and Dorset, providing over 1,800 out-of-hours deliveries last year alone. Their work has saved the NHS over £200,000.
Andrew Wiley, Chair of YFW Blood Bikes, said: “We are so grateful for the outstanding support that the Leonardo charity team has given to the charity during 2025. The enthusiasm and drive that they have demonstrated in their fundraising efforts has been inspirational. YFW Blood Bikes is staffed entirely by volunteers; no member receives any remuneration. The funds so generously donated by Leonardo fundraisers will be put towards buying a much-needed replacement Blood Bike, that will keep the fleet on the road and continue to provide this essential service to the NHS.”
Andys Man Club is a UK charity that runs weekly peer-to-peer support groups for men. Their mission is to break the stigma surrounding men’s mental health by offering a safe, non-judgmental space for conversation.
Steve Doyle, South-West Area Lead for Andys Man Club, added: “Andys Man Club can only run the 300+ groups it has throughout the UK with the support of individuals and organisations. We are a 100% donation-led charity, and the awareness, time and funds raised by organisations such as Leonardo allows our charity to open its doors on a Monday night and welcome #ThatOneMan who may be struggling, who wants to get things off his chest and find out why #ItsOkayToTalk. Thank you."
