Community leaders unite to reach summit of collaboration
A group of Hertfordshire charity and education leaders are setting out to prove that organisations working together can ‘literally climb mountains’.
Five CEOs from organisations supporting some of the county’s most vulnerable people are joining forces to take on the Three Peaks Challenge, swapping boardrooms for boots as they tackle Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon over three days.
Wendy Lewington of DENS; Mark Hanna of Age UK Herts; Jonny Whitehead of Herts Young Homeless; Caroline England of Herts Inclusive Theatre; and Gill Worgan of West Herts College Group, hope the challenge will not only raise funds for their respective organisations, but also shine a spotlight on the importance of partnership working across Hertfordshire.
Injury has forced Keely Siddiqui-Charlick of Sunnyside Rural Trust o pull out of the challenge, but she is hoping someone will be able to represent the organisation.
The idea that came from Wendy was born from a simple belief that the biggest challenges facing local communities cannot be solved by organisations working alone. Instead, the group wants to demonstrate that, just as they will rely on one another to conquer three of the UK’s highest peaks, collaboration is key to supporting people of all ages facing homelessness, isolation, disadvantage and other complex challenges.
Wendy said: “I had this idea after a particularly reflective time in my life and started wondering whether I could persuade a few fellow leaders to join me. I thought it was a really good thing for us to show how, by working together, we can literally climb mountains.
“Every one of us supports different people and communities, but we all share the same goal of helping those who need us most.
“We are going to need each other over the three days. All of us are going to need one another at some point to support us to get up that mountain. And that’s exactly what partnership working is all about. None of us can tackle the biggest challenges facing our communities alone, but together we can achieve far more than we ever could individually.”
The team will travel to Scotland in October completing the three climbs on consecutive days. Alongside raising funds for their individual organisations, they hope the challenge will encourage more people to recognise the vital role charities, education providers and community organisations play in supporting people across Hertfordshire.
Training is already underway, with the group fitting in practice walks around their demanding day jobs. While each participant has their own fundraising page, the team hopes supporters will get behind the collective effort and the shared message that by working together, communities become stronger.
Jonny Whitehead, of Herts Young Homeless, said: “We know that homelessness among young people in Hertfordshire is preventable, but it is still an issue that can be underestimated.
“Every day we see the difference that strong partnerships make to those young people’s lives and this challenge is a powerful reminder that when organisations work together, everyone benefits.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge itself, although perhaps not every step of every mountain. More importantly, I’m looking forward to spending time with fellow leaders, raising awareness of the incredible work taking place across Hertfordshire and showing that collaboration really can help us overcome even the toughest obstacles.”
To support the group, visit one of their fundraising pages: