Cumbrian Challenge

The Cumbrian Challenge was set up for raising funds to put ex servicemen and women through WWTW's programmes and back into society, independence and employment. This event continues to be a key fundraiser to change lives. 

• Each team is challenged to work together as part of your team-building preparation and fundraise £2,000 before your big day. You will be amazed what you can achieve.
• When you sign up you will be prompted to set up an online giving page so it becomes part of our leaderboard for the event.
• Download a fundraising pack here for ideas and tips of how to hit your target. You can call Viveca or Andy on 01263 863 902 if you need any further support or are stuck for ideas..

Incentives:

• Every team that raises £2,000 before the event will receive limited edition, Cumbrian Challenge beanies to wear at the event and showcase your efforts.
• Each corporate team of four that raises £10,000 or more will receive a free talk for staff or clients from Duncan Slater, a WWTW beneficiary and the first double leg amputee to ski to the South Pole and also to complete the Marathon des Sables.

5 key fundraising tips to blast past your £2,000 team target:

• 100% uplift – create and send out your fundraising page!
• 46% uplift – add a target to your online page
• ?% – ask your employer about matched funding
• Stage an office sweepstake on your finishing position
• Host a ‘Come Dine With Me’, quiz, race night, adventure talk night or BBQ evening before or after the challenge

Why are we doing this again?

"I was in a very dark place before I was referred to WWTW. Without their support I don't know where I would be. I now feel I have a bright future ahead of me." Adam, ex Green Howards Infantry Regiment, injured in training

"Asking for help is the hardest thing I've ever done, bit it does work... talking helps." Harry, diagnosed with mental health issues following basic training

"I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for the help provided by WWTW. In fact, I would probably be dead." Leon, ex Welsh Guards with tours to Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan, diagnosed with PTSD

The ‘Mountain Goats’ team from AEGIS London have been to every Cumbrian Challenge, led by Glen Pilkington.

Glen’s fundraising plan:

• We try and maximise our contacts in our working environment - people are very generous. So we do a company-wide email and also email our personal contacts with a fundraising page. This tends to get us at least 50% of our total.
• We also approach our company’s charity committee and up to date, we have received £200 per staff member competing, so £800 in total.
• I have also done a supermarket collection which raised about £200.
• Those are our three main methods, in addition to small collection boxes on our reception area. They are not particularly exciting ideas, but they work for us.

‘CHt Trekkers’ from Crown House Technologies (part of Laing O’Rourke), completed their first Cumbrian Challenge in 2016 and made the most of work connections to hit their fundraising target.

Tim's fundraising plan:

Timothy Wilson, a senior project manager for Crown House who led the team, said: “The CHt Trekkers team decided the simplest strategy would be to utilise our networks as the primary target for fundraising. As with most organisations we are lucky enough to have a mature, supportive, supply chain which became the first port of call for sponsorship. This support has provided 80% of the £2300 raised and was acquired in little more than a month.

“The remaining funds have been built by individual team members who started to utilise their work peer and personal networks to gain further fundraising. This is the area we then pushed to hit and exceed our target.” 

What are the event timings?

FRIDAY

• 16:00 Registration opens
• 19-21:00 Dinner served
• 21:00 Last briefing
• 21:30 Registration closes
• 22:30 Last orders at the bar
• 23:00 Site closed

SATURDAY

• 06:00 Site open
• 06:30 Breakfast served
• 07:30 Race start for Tougher route
• 08:00 Race start for the Tough route
• 08:30 Race start for the Peak route
• 17-21:00 Dinner served
• 19:15 Prize-giving and thanks from WWTW CEO Ed Parker
• 19:30 Music and cheap, cash bar
• 22:30 Last orders
• 23:00 Site closed

SUNDAY

• 11:00 All campers and cars off site

Your team entry fee includes:

• Friday and Saturday evening meal
• Saturday morning breakfast (bacon rolls!)
• Saturday afternoon hot and cold drinks and snacks at the finish line
• Finish-line “Cumbrian Challenge” beer on tap, courtesy of Keswick Brewing Co.
• A technical training t-shirt (to be worn during the event)
• Finishers medal and talk from WWTW CEO Ed Parker
• Water stops en route and First Aid teams
• Mountain rescue team (with vehicle support) and route marshalls
• Suggested training, food and required kit information
• Official timing and checkpoint control staff
• Health and safety route management
• Toilet facilities and showers at the site base
• Saturday evening entertainment

Kit List | Book camping 

What are the routes?

See details of the routes and how to pick the right one for you.

 How can I make changes to my team / update or amend team members details?

Simply log into your NU Tickets account and click on “Tickets” to update your details or transfer your ticket if you can no longer make the event and are wanting to ‘sub in’ a friend.

If you are the team leader:

• Transfer a ticket to a team member by clicking on Tickets – Actions – Transfer.
• Amend your route choice and team details by clicking on “Groups”

You can change team members and/or your route choice up until 1 May.

If you have any issues please email viveca@wwtw.org.uk or call 01263 863 902.

I haven’t had any emails about final details for the event?

We send regular countdown emails so if you haven’t received any then something has gone awry. Please email viveca@wwtw.org.uk to let us know.

When is it? Friday and Saturday 17-18 May 2019

Where is it? Grasmere Sports Ground – The Showfield, Stock Lane Grasmere, Cumbria, LA22 9SL

What are the event timings?

FRIDAY

• 16:00 Registration opens
• 19-21:00 Dinner served
• 21:00 Last briefing
• 21:30 Registration closes
• 22:30 Last orders at the bar
• 23:00 Site closed

SATURDAY

• 06:00 Site open
• 06:30 Breakfast served
• 07:30 Race start for Tougher route
• 08:00 Race start for the Tough route
• 08:30 Race start for the Peak route
• 17-21:00 Dinner served
• 19:15 Prize-giving and thanks from WWTW CEO Ed Parker
• 19:30 Music and cheap, cash bar
• 22:30 Last orders
• 23:00 Site closed

SUNDAY

• 11:00 All campers and cars off site

Who needs to be at registration?

At least two members of each team must attend one of the safety briefings at registration which will take place every 45 minutes from 4pm until 9pm on the Friday.

This includes details about the route, the maps, the cut-off times and what to do in an emergency.

What happens at registration?

Teams sign in and receive their race numbers, laminated (waterproof) maps of the route and free WWTW tech t-shirts to wear during the challenge and a Cumbrian Challenge 2017 wristband to get their meals.

I can’t make registration – is that an issue?

Yes and no. We want as many people as possible to attend and register on the Friday night as time on Saturday morning is tight and we want you to concentrate on your bacon roll and getting to the start line. We do run a final safety briefing talk at 7am on the day of the event for teams who for whatever reason don’t get to us in time on Friday. We recognise that people get stuck at work, with family, on the motorway, so if you can’t make it on Friday night please call 07818 424 304 to let us know so we can have your packs ready on Saturday morning so you don’t miss the start.

Can I have a team of 2, 3 or 5?

No. You must have four people to a team. If you have more than four people wanting to enter then please try and recruit another team. This will be more sociable for you and bring in more fundraising for the charity.

If you are short of teammates then do contact the office as we always have other teams who have had people pull out too and sometimes WWTW staff help make up numbers.

How do I set up my team’s fundraising page?

You can set up your fundraising page here. This will then appear alongside all the other event fundraising pages so you can get tips and ideas from other teams.

Please note – research has shown that adding a fundraising target can increase donations by 46%. Be brave and tell people your goal. Participants with photos on their pages also raise 9% more and adding a summary or story as to why you are personally taking part can increase donations by 11%. Essentially, a personal touch will make a difference and if your friends and colleagues can see where you need to get to target wise it is another prompter to them to give generously.

How much do our team need to raise?

Teams are challenged to raise £2,000 with at least £1,000 in before the event to be able to take part - all on a best endeavours basis. If you have any concerns or worries then call us for ideas and ways you can easily work together to achieve this by

Figures to aim for:

£675 is the average cost of a course of therapy sessions through our mental health programme - Head Start

£706.56 is the average cost of a for each beneficiary in our employment programme which embeds employment advisors into homeless centres - Home Straight

£800 Will support a veteran through our criminal justice programme - Project Nova

£2361 is the average award for a beneficiary going through our retraining programme - First Steps

Where can I find more fundraising tips?

Please download our fundraising pack. Sell donuts in your office, hold a ‘come dine with me’ evening, a quiz, a sweepstake, a raffle, ask your work about matched funding… Here’s how to get your first £50.

Where can I get a sponsorship form?

Download one here.

I’m struggling with fundraising, can you help?

Yes. If you have any worries please call 01263 863 902 and ask for Viveca.

What do I do with cash or cheque donations?

CHEQUES – Make payable to “Walking With The Wounded” and send to Walking With The Wounded, Stody Hall Barns, Stody, Melton Constable, Norfolk NR24 2ED.

• On the back of the cheque please write your name, team name and ‘Balmoral Challenge’ so we can allocate it to your fundraising effort.
• Please do encourage anyone writing you a cheque to download a Gift Aid Form, to ensure we can claim an extra 25% on their generous donation. For more information on Gift Aid visit: www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/giving/gift-aid.htm
• Please also add it to the ‘offline fundraising’ section of your online giving so your friends and team and those who’ve donated to you are aware of your efforts.

CASH – Please make a payment on your online giving page, write us a cheque or take the cash into any Barclays (Sort Code: 20-30-81 Account Number: 33616436) or Clydesdale Bank (Sort Code: 82-60-13 Acc. Number: 60181701). Ensure you put your name, team name and ‘Cumbrian Challenge’ in the reference.

Do you accept CAF cheques?

Yes. Please address them to Walking With The Wounded. Write your name, team and Cumbrian Challenge on the back and send it to: Katie Dagless, WWTW, Stody Hall Barns, Stody, Melton Constable, Norfolk NR24 2ED.

Where does the money go?

The money you so generously raise funds our programmes supporting vulnerable veterans back into independence through employment. Every £2,000 on average supports another veteran into work.

What do I need to wear?

Check out the kit list. The weather in the Lakes is very changeable, the temperature will drop by a degree every 100m you climb and with wind chill can be significantly colder. This year there will be a limited number of kit checks by our staff to ensure your safety and satisfy our insurers but we trust you to take appropriate clothing with you.

What are the t-shirt sizes?

XS 35″ S 38″ M 40″ L 43″ XL 45″ 2XL 48″

Is accommodation included?

No. There is limited amount of camping at the event ground which you can book when you register or via the link below.

For B&Bs please click here.

We kindly ask participants to arrange their own accommodation as unfortunately we do not have the time to help everyone with these requests.

Book camping at HQ

I’m camping at HQ, are there showers?

There are men's and women's changing rooms with hot showers in the sports pavilion which are reserved exclusively for campers as well as toilet and wash facilities.

I’m camping, do I have to bring my own tent?

Yes. There are toilet trailers, showers, changing rooms and wash sinks. Everything else you need to bring.

Where can I find a decent weather forecast?

The Mountain Weather Information Service or the Met Office's mountain forecast for the Lake District

How fit/fast do I need to be?

For an indication of the pace you need to be able to walk at, and the routes you will be covering, have a look at our route page.

Are dogs welcome?

Yes. Well behaved(!) dogs are welcome. They need to be kept on a lead in any areas with livestock and are the responsibility of the owner at HQ. Please ask a volunteer if you need a water bowl.

Where is the nearest good pub?

There are a host of fine pubs in Grasmere – but we hope you join us on Friday and Saturday in the event marquee to meet WWTW staff, beneficiaries and other teams. There will be food and a cheap, cash bar. For Sunday lunch any of the local pubs are excellent.

Is the course marshalled? Do I need to be able to map read?

All this information is on our route page.

Where can I park?

You can part at the event ground and leave your car overnight on Friday and Saturday at your own risk. Usual common sense rules apply. Please don’t leave valuables in the car and please comply with all requests by our volunteers.

What food is given to competitors?

Friday and Saturday evening buffet meals. Bacon rolls for Saturday breakfast and afternoon tea and cake. Please note you need to provide your own packed lunch and emergency snacks for the hill itself.

Can I order a packed lunch?

Yes. Please email Hilary on argillhouse@gmail.com if you would like to order a packed lunch including your choices by no later than 12 noon Thursday 17th May 

Packed Lunches for participants, to be collected at the catering area of the main marquee from 8am Saturday 19th May 2018

• Sandwiches using Wholemeal Bloomer Bread (1 ½ rounds)
  
• Fillings Choice: Tuna Savoury, Egg Savoury, Ham, Cheese and Tomato (Choose 1 Filling)
• Piece of Fruit
• Bag of Crisps Various flavours (Choose 1)
• Paradise Slice or Flapjack (Choose 1)
• Sweet Treat
• Bottle of Water or Carton of Orange Juice (Choose 1)

All wrapped and placed in a bag ready for collection

£8 per Packed Lunch (cash only on receipt)

Is it true you get a beer at the finish line?

Yes, thanks to Adnams in 2016, in 2017 thanks to Keswick Brewing Co. who have brewed a special ‘Cumbrian Challenge’ beer and in 2018 thanks to Heineken.

Is there a free bar?

No. There’s a (cheap) cash bar on the Friday and Saturday with various beers, wine and soft drinks. All profit to the charity. Cash only so please stop at the cash machine before you come.

I’ve got a friend/family member who wants to come along, can they join us at HQ?

The race is strictly teams of four but friends/family are welcome at the event HQ. We just need to know numbers in advance and they will need to purchase an event wristband (a donation of £25 to the charity by calling the office on 01263 863 902) to cover their food and entertainment for the weekend.

Can I volunteer?

If you can’t take part and want to volunteer, or are coming along to support a colleague or family member and want to help out then please email viveca@wwtw.org.uk

Can I buy WWTW kit?

Yes, there will be a small merchandise stand selling hats, tech t-shirts, waterproof jackets and fleeces or you can visit our online shop in advance.

What happens if I need to pull out?

Each year we inevitably have a few teams which need to pull out from the Cumbrian Challenge in advance, because of injury or illness. The entry fee is non-refundable or transferable. Please take care during your training to pace yourself and build up distances slowly to avoid the risk of injury.

More questions? Please email viveca@wwtw.org.uk or call us on 01263 863 902.