Clitheroe Cubs and Scouts' charity trek raises cash for poorly children

When the cubs of St Mary Magdalene Scout Group decided to organise a sponsored six-mile hike up Pendle Hill, little did they realise just how successful the fundraising would be!
All smiles from Derek and Paul at the cheque handoverAll smiles from Derek and Paul at the cheque handover
All smiles from Derek and Paul at the cheque handover

Having never organised anything of this nature, leaders Paul Barker and Louise Sells, set what turned out to be a very modest target, of just £250; a figure they eventually exceeded five times over raising £1,150.

Talking about the walk, Paul said: “Louise and I were absolutely blown away with every aspect of the event. The cubs were fantastic, the parents and families immensely supportive and generous; the actual hike was extremely hard, the amount raised made it all so worthwhile! We hope local youngsters and families who are not currently involved in scouting will be impressed with what our team has achieved and it will encourage them to want to join the Scouting movement."

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Paul and Louise had arranged the event in conjunction with a friend of Paul’s, Derek Russell, who has been fundraising on behalf of Alder Hey Children’s Charity for many years.

Louise presenting the cheque at the year end family eventLouise presenting the cheque at the year end family event
Louise presenting the cheque at the year end family event

Commenting on the charity walk, Derek said: “I have been involved in a lot of different fundraisers over the last few years, all of which have been very successful, and raised a serious amount of money for a charity I am passionate about. I, however, have to admit this was my favourite and the one I gained the most enjoyment from. To be involved with

children, who committed to helping other children made it so very, very special. Paul, Louise and everybody else who was involved were a joy to work with and I was amazed how they developed the idea to encompass more than just the hike.

"They wanted to ensure the cubs efforts were recognised and rewarded and so they organised the 'year end family' evening barbecue to be a celebration of the event. It was a really fun evening for everybody, and made all the more special by nearly 100 family members attending, as well as a number of Scouting dignitaries."

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