Hythe care home reach new heights with Snowdon charity challenge

Care home colleagues from Hythe have taken on a mountain-sized challenge to raise money for charity. 

Four team members at Care UK’s Carpathia Grange, on Southampton Road, laced up their walking boots for a climb up Mount Snowdon, raising an impressive £460 for the British Heart Foundation.

Ahead of the challenge, the team prepared by taking part in weekly walks, gradually increasing the distance and duration to build their confidence and fitness for the climb. Residents at the care home also joined the mission, completing their own walking challenge back at Carpathia Grange, achieving more than 10,000 steps between them. 

Taking on the highest peak in Wales, the team was spurred on by meeting footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen, who helped cheer them on. After three and a half hours of walking, they proudly reached the summit together. 

The charity was chosen to commemorate World Heart Day, as well as several of the team being personally affected by heart disease. Customer Relations Manager, Danielle, lives with a heart condition herself, which requires close monitoring and will eventually lead to heart surgery. 

Other members of the team have lost people to heart disease, including Carpathia Grange’s Home Manager, Jodie Lavers, who, as a teenager, lost her father to a heart attack. And so this charity was chosen to help support research and medical improvements, which is very 'close to their hearts'!

In August, Carpathia Grange also hosted a quiz night, which raised over £500.

Danielle Sandford-Pain, Customer Relations Manager at Carpathia Grange and one of the climbers, said: “Climbing Snowdon for the British Heart Foundation was a real challenge, but knowing we were doing it to support such an important cause kept us going. My heart condition, and my husband’s, are congenital, and we are yet to find out if our two youngest children have been affected, so raising money for a charity which will support research into treating heart conditions is something I will always be keen to support,

“Knowing the residents at Carpathia Grange were joining us on this challenge gave us the motivation to reach the top – as well as Wayne and Coleen’s support!”

Jodie Lavers, Home Manager at Carpathia Grange, said: “Climbing Snowdon is a huge achievement, and we are incredibly proud of everyone who took part. The hard work and dedication the team showed throughout the challenge is a true reflection of the values at Carpathia Grange.

“We would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and for taking on this challenge for such an important cause.”

Carpathia Grange is a three-storey care home that provides residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care. It features 62 ensuite bedrooms and incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, including its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub.