A team of talented young climbers in Stockport have signed up for a mountain-sized charity challenge that will see them raising money for a charity backed by HRH The Duke of Cambridge.
17 young people from The ACE squad of Awesome Walls Climbing centre will attempt the huge challenge scaling the height of Everest in a day - but rather than tackling the mountain, they'll be scaling the equivalent height on their walls.
The bug fundraising event on the 22nd of June is in aid of The Prince William Award, a national charity education programme delivered in schools throughout the UK.
The Prince William Award is a pioneering character and resilience programme aimed at boosting children and young people's confidence, resilience and self-belief. The award is the only one of its kind and the only one in HRH The Duke of Cambridge's name. The award is on year-long experience for 6 to 14-year olds which was launched in 2017 and is now on track to be delivered to 13,000 children across the UK this academic year.
The climbing squad, made up of a mix of girls and boys of different ages have been training tirelessly 2-3 times a week since last October to prepare for the climb on the 23 metre vertical wall in order to reach the height of 8,848 metres between them over the course of the challenge.
Squad coach and Prince William Award Area Manager Andy Smith said: "Last year, SkillForce and The Prince William Award kindly sponsored the ACE squad in order for the new uniform to be purchased.
"The squad was thrilled and decided to return the generosity by holding a fundraising event. After something similar - just on their walls instead!
"I am so proud of the dedication they have shown. We have been working really hard on building up the stamina and endurance over the last few months, as they will need to put in their all."
SkillForce is a nationwide charity that delivers the Prince William Award across the whole of the country currently in more than 300 schools helping them to face life's challenges and embrace opportunities.
HRH Prince William has been Royal Patron of the charity since 2009 and is now supporting its mission to 'inspire generations of self-believers.'
At an official graduation ceremony for 2017/18 graduates last September The Duke said: "This award has flourished over its first year positively impacting the lives of almost seven and a half thousand children. I have received some wonderful feedback from school leaders, teachers, parents and instructors as well as the young people themselves.
At a young age, children need to learn the tools to deal with such challenges; the tools to develop their self-esteem, confidence and resilience to lead happy, healthy lives and to succeed and thrive.
Good academic results are, of course, important but strength of character - the confidence to stand up and be counted and the ability to keep going in the face of adversity are essential if young people are to flourish."
Kim Crowther, an ambassador for SkillForce and a mother to one of the climbers, Jake who's 12 years old, has been working alongside Andy Smith and his team of climbers to make the event a success. She said: "I am so proud of Jake and the team for taking on this massive challenge. They are working so hard. The mission of SkillForce and The Prince William Award means a lot to me as I believe that the money can help children to develop essential life skills and character traits which we all need to help us live happily and experience success."
The team completed their first all day training session on the 18th May. The focus of the training was on fitness and graded climbs so that on the day of the event, the arduous task will be like a walk in the park.