Charity Challenge Teams Break Through £2.2 Million Mark

From heavy rain to dazzling sun, teams in the 2019 Cold Chain Federation member Samworth Brothers Charity Challenge triumphed over tough conditions to raise an amazing £318,000 for charity.  It brings the total raised from the Charity Challenge since the event started in 2009 to an outstanding total of £2.2 million.More than 100 teams of four signed up to take part in one of two gruelling 10-hour Charity Challenge events on Exmoor on June 1^st and June 8^th, with Samworth Brothers’ customers and suppliers also taking part.One aspect of the event is giving back to the local community.  At a celebration evening at the Porlock Recreation Ground seven Porlock Vale, Minehead and Exmoor charities  were presented with Charity Challenge donations.  The CareMore for Exmoor donation scheme received an award of £15,000. Porlock Youth Club and Porlock Weir gig club each received awards of £10,000; the Doverhay Museum in Porlock received an award of £7,000 and the Porlock apple press, an award of £3,000 to help provide new apple pressing equipment.  There was also an award of £10,000 for the Minehead RNLI and an award of £5,000 for the Minehead Merlins cycling club. On the second weekend the teams were joined by a team from 40 Commando Royal Marines based at Taunton who tackled and won the Challenge’s elite course.

More than 50 other charities were supported by team fundraising including Alzheimer’s Research, Macmillan, Stroke Association, British Deaf Association, Marie Curie, NSPCC, Sue Ryder, Huntingdon’s Disease Association, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Wishes4Kids, Heartlink Children’s Charity, Hospice at Home, Coping with Cancer, Rainbows Trust Children’s Hospice, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Devon and Cornwall Autistic Society, Argyle Community Trust, Macmillan, various women’s cancer charities, the Anthony Nolan Trust and Muscular Dystrophy UK.