Former Warwick School pupils raise thousands of pounds for charity with the Three Peaks Challenge

A group of friends who all met while at Warwick School have helped raise thousands of pounds for charity by completing the Three Peaks Challenge.

From September 30 to October 1, Charlie Perkins, Freddie Quelch, Freddie Herd, Alex Harrold, Ben Richards, climbed and drove between Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon in 24 hours.

They were raising money for the South Warwickshire Foundation Trust (SWFT) – a cause close to their hearts.

In February 2021, Charlie's mum, Lorna, received an early onset breast cancer diagnosis after a routine mammogram and in Christmas 2022, Freddie's mum, Tessa, had a stroke.

The group said: "This institution and its staff has had a profound impact on the lives of our group as they have been crucial in supporting two of our mums when they were taken ill in the last two years.

"Due to the brilliant support and treatment provided, both Lorna and Tessa have been able to make full recoveries.”

Speaking about the challenge, Charlie said: “Most of us had done at least one of the mountains before, but not under time pressure.

"We are all active boys who try to keep fit and most of us have completed the Duke of Edinburgh awards to various levels, but this was definitely a step up from that.

“I think it's fair to say we all found the challenge difficult, but hugely gratifying.

"We've been close friends since the start of secondary school and with us coming to the end of our time at university, it was great fun to catch up.

"We all agreed that Ben Nevis was the toughest climb, but Scafell and Snowdon felt harder due to the driving rain, climbing in the dark, and lack of sleep.

“We were all delighted to have completed our goal of raising money for the charity and for completing the challenge in less than 24 hours.”

They have raised more than £6,800 and are hoping to reach £7,000.

Charlie added: “We are hugely grateful for everyone who made a contribution, mentioned this to people they know, or even just wished us luck – all support was appreciated.

"The GoFundMe page is still open and I would encourage anyone to try and push us over £7,000 in donations.”

To donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/swft-charity