A team of firefighters from Ryde have successfully completed an epic 3-day circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, walking, climbing and kayaking their way around the coast in aid of The Wight Brainy Bunch.
Ryde’s Green Watch set off from the seafront in Ryde at first light on Friday morning, swiftly making impressive progress westwards to reach The Needles by the end of the day. Then, on Saturday, the group set off from Freshwater Bay and down the back of the Island to Ventnor having passed the most southerly point of the Isle of Wight, St Catherine’s Point.
Sunday, the last day of the challenge, saw the firefighters work their way around Culver Cliff as they completed the final leg of their journey from Ventnor back to Ryde.
The team’s efforts saw them tackle tricky terrain including landslides and rocks the size of cars, but it paid off with in excess of £1,200 raised for charity to date.
The idea was presented to Green Watch by their Watch Manager Chas Wright, who is due to retire in 2023 and wanted to complete 1 last charity challenge before hanging up his fire boots. He has chosen to raise funds for The Wight Brainy Bunch, a charity set up by Green Watch firefighter Mark Grimes following his diagnosis of a brain tumour in 2015 and a subsequent 2nd surgery in 2019.
Ryde Fire Station are no strangers to weird, wacky and extreme charity challenges having previously run in a human hamster wheel for 48 hours, carried a ladder around the Island and most recently climbed a 10-metre high tower non-stop for 24 hours, to climb the equivalent ascent of over 8 Mount Everest’s.
It’s not too late to donate. Simply visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/greenvswight. Or to donate £5, text the word GREEN to 70460. To donate more, simply text GREEN followed by the amount (for example GREEN10 will donate £10). You can also donate directly to the charity via their website at www.thewightbrainybunch.org.uk/donate.
