A magnificent seven members of staff from a cinema starred in their own action adventure when they slogged to the top of mountain to raise cash for a good cause.
The intrepid team from the Odeon at Eagles Meadow in Wrexham – plus one pet dog – trekked to the summit of Mount Snowdon in aid of their official charity partner, MIND, which helps people with mental health problems.
And their lofty ambitions have paid off to the tune of over £200.
The two-year partnership between the Odeon group and MIND has seen fundraising activities taking place in cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
The aim is to hit a target figure of £100,000 by holding themed events, participating in various sporting activities, treks and challenge events.
And the team at the Odeon in Eagles Meadow played their part by launching their assault on the 3,560ft summit of Snowdon.
Donning their hiking boots to take part in the challenge earlier this month were cinema general manager Andy Elvis, managers Dan Cheesbrough, Kenny Kempster and Stephen Short along with cinema hosts Conor O’Brien and Chloe Ball and Abbie Huhtala, a barista at the Odeon’s in-house Costa café.
Padding along beside them was Dan’s two-year-old Springer/Labrador cross, Bailey.
Dan, who has been at the Eagles Meadow Odeon for the past six years, said: “It was our general manager Andy’s idea to tackle Snowdon because he, Steve and Kenny have all done it before.
“I’ve also walked to the top myself in the past, so we were all pretty familiar with it although none of us are regular mountain walkers.
“We chose to head for the summit along the Llanberis Path, which runs alongside the mountain railway, because it’s probably the most popular and said to be the easiest, although it didn’t feel like it as the weather on the day was pretty warm.
“For most of the walk the temperature must have been in the mid-20s C, which does tend to slow you down a bit.
“We thought it might be a bit cooler as we got higher up but it stayed much the same throughout.”
Dan added: “The journey to the summit and back again took us about five hours but it was well worthwhile, especially when we reached the top because the view from up there across the mountains and over to Anglesey was absolutely spectacular.
“The group ranges in age from late teens to early forties but everyone managed it okay. My dog Bailey loved it and seemed to have twice the energy of anyone else.
“Everyone was pleased to do the walk on behalf of MIND which is such a great charity and it’s good to know we’ve raised over £200 thanks to the sponsorship we have from colleagues, friends and family.”
MIND provides advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
Money raised during the partnership with the Odeon will fund the charity’s work including the Mind Infoline as well as campaigning to secure a better deal for everybody who experiences a mental health problem.
Mind was chosen as the company’s official partner following a vote among all 5,000 people who work at Odeon in the UK and Ireland, in which the charity was selected as the clear favourite.
In the last eight years Odeon teams have raised over £1 million for partner charities.
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley said: “I’d like to congratulate the staff from the Odeon for their magnificent effort in aid of such a worthy cause. They are a top team!”
