Watford Town Centre’s BID team members, Kara Mesiano and Glen Hempenstall, took on the national three peaks challenge with the aim of raising funds for One YMCA, a Watford-based charity dedicated to helping individuals in need.
Kara & Glen successfully climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – the tallest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales respectively – and managed to climb them all one after the other! The mammoth task was for a brilliant cause as they combined with a squad of fundraisers to raise over £10,000 towards One YMCA… so far.
One YMCA is a wonderful charity that helps rough sleepers, victims of domestic abuse, individuals suffering with mental health issues and looks to change the lives of those most in need. People become homeless for a host of reasons, and their specialist staff work with each resident to tackle issues and barriers preventing them from moving forwards. The One YMCA team signposts to local services like GPs, community mental health teams and CGL (Change Grow Live). Charter Hostel offers a warm, safe environment to stay, offering 150 supported beds and 22 bed spaces for MCISS – the medium complex intensive support scheme.
Donations have been made via the One YMCA Three Peaks Challenge 2024 JustGiving page, and the fundraising page is still open should anyone wish to support the charity further. Over £10,000, including gift aid, has been raised between the eight ambitious climbers so far, and they would be truly delighted to see that figure grow even further as a reward for their monumental efforts.
Glen Hempenstall, Marketing & Communications Manager of Watford Town Centre BID, said: “We are extremely proud that Kara & I managed to complete the national three peaks challenge alongside our team of One YMCA fundraisers. It’s fair to say there were extreme ups and downs both literally and mentally! It may have been a wet, windy, freezing cold experience that turned our collective legs into jelly, but it was all worth it to feel the sense of achievement that we have from raising substantial funds.
Thank you to each and every person that made a donation no matter how big or small, it all contributes towards vital support services in the Watford and Hertfordshire area and there was no greater motivation for us than seeing that £10,000 milestone surpassed. We’d love to raise even more money so please do visit our JustGiving page and donate whatever you feel comfortable to!”
Watford Town Centre BID are a long-established member of the Community Safety Partnership: a multi-agency organisation dedicated to preventing anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder in Watford. The BID team work closely with Watford Borough Council, Atria Watford, Hertfordshire Police and One YMCA to ensure that Watford Town Centre is a safe environment for residents, staff members and visitors. Visit www.watfordtowncentre.com to find out more about the work undertaken by Watford Town Centre BID.
