A 23 strong team from Kier, Mace and Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have successfully climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise over £16,000 to support the work of Kidney Research Yorkshire.
The challenge took place on Thursday 18 May, with the team starting early in the morning from Horton-in-Ribblesdale with the aim of tackling the 24 miles and the three peaks of Pen-y-Gent, Whernside and Ingleborough within 12 hours.
The team chose to support Kidney Research Yorkshire for its fundraising challenge following a selection process that involved members of the team nominating a local charity, with the employees then voting for the preferred good cause to support through the challenge.
Kidney Research Yorkshire was nominated by Kier Senior Site Manager Stewart Waite, whose partner donated one of her kidneys to her son James in 2017. James was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease called Focal Segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in his early 20s, and it became apparent that he would need a kidney transplant. His mother put herself forward as a potential donor and was found to be a match. After extensive testing the transplant went ahead, giving James his life back.
Kier, which is delivering HMP Millsike – a new category C prison in Full Sutton – is aware of the importance of supporting the communities in which they work and giving back to the causes that are close to the hearts of their employees.
Gary Wintersgill, Managing Director for Construction & Engineering at Kier said: “It is a privilege to be able to make a real difference to the lives of people in the communities that we work in. We are proud to be taking part in this challenge and raising money for such an important cause.”
They have so far raised £16,600 and you can support the team through their fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/y3pteamhmpmillsike
Kidney Research Yorkshire funds vital research projects in Yorkshire to improve treatment options for kidney disease patients with the aim of improving and saving the lives of all people affected by the disease.
David Fisher, Fundraising Manager at Kidney Research Yorkshire said: “Thanks to the wonderful support of companies like Kier, we can continue to fund our vital research. Over the next five years we aim to develop Yorkshire as a hub for renal research by securing tenured researchers within the University of Leeds. This will attract additional funding so that a wider range of research int o kidney disease can take place in the area, helping to save and improve the lives of more patients living with kidney disease. “