Funeral team climbs five isles for lung cancer charity
In total, the climbs will cover more than 3,500 metres in elevation, more than two-and-a-half times the height of Ben Nevis
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Ian Brown Funeral Directors in Carstairs, Scotland, has announced that its team is in the midst of completing a five-island climbing challenge to raise funds for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
The initiative, called Coffin Up for a Cause, will see the group scale the highest peaks on the Scottish islands of Arran, Mull, Jura, Harris and Tiree, each of which lends its name to a coffin line sold by the Funeral Partners member firm.
In total, the climbs will cover more than 3,500 metres in elevation, more than two-and-a-half times the height of Ben Nevis. The challenge began earlier this June and will run until mid-October.
The idea came from funeral service operative Arry Renton, a former army lieutenant colonel who served 38 years in the Royal Logistic Corps and the Royal Corps of Transport. Renton is personally scouting each route ahead of the team climbs.
Renton said: “It started with a tongue-in-cheek idea – climbing the islands our coffins are named after – but it’s turned into something genuinely moving and memorable. It’s certainly not going to be easy, some of these places are difficult to get to, which is why I am scouting them out beforehand.
“I think the hardest one will be Jura, from an access point of view, and even though it’s not the highest, it’ll be the most difficult walk and could be about 13 hours in total. But it will all be worth it to raise money and awareness. We know how prevalent the disease is, especially in Scotland.”
He added: “Some people in our team are more experienced than others when it comes to long walks and hikes, but we will start as a group and finish as a group, too.”
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “I’m sure some people may be a little taken back by the name of this challenge – Coffin Up for a Cause. Personally, we’re big fans of anything that gets people talking more openly about lung cancer.
“Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in Scotland and yet we don’t talk about it. This needs to change. We need to lose the stigma and nihilistic perceptions around lung cancer and be more open about this disease that affects so many of us.”
She added: “We want to say a huge thank you to the team for taking on this challenge to not only help those affected by lung cancer but also to help us start these vital and potentially life-saving conversations.”
