An intrepid inter-faith group of thirty five Christian and Muslim men, women and children from the Bradford area have raised £10,000 by completed a gruelling walk up Snowdon in North Wales.
The ‘Snowdon Challenge’ which took place in torrential rain and with 60mph winds was organised by the Muslim Women’s Council and Bradford Curry Circle to raise money for the weekly two course hot meal for people who are homeless or struggling to feed themselves.
But under difficult conditions the walk was almost abandoned as the weather closed in. Among those taking part was curate, Revd Jenny Ramsden (pictured left) who takes up the story. ” At the half way point it was suggested by one of the leaders that we turn back, but we were a determined bunch, and, thinking of all the people who had sponsored us rooting for us back home, persuaded him that we could carry on!
“We climbed upwards to the summit, in driving rain and gales, and, in spite of not being able to see more than a couple of metres either in front or behind us due to the fog, eventually every single one of us made it to the very top. We had to cling on to the trig point to avoid being blown over by the gales! The climb back down was equally challenging, as by then we were all soaked to the skin and freezing cold, but the sense of achievement when we reached the bottom was quite remarkable.”
In spite - or because of - the physical challenges, Jenny, who works as an interfaith worker for Touchstone Bradford, said there was a real sense of achievement and that close bonds were formed. “We were a group of men, women and children from different faith communities across Bradford - the climb enabled us engage in good conversation, and the shared challenge meant we formed a close bond by the end of the day … We have met together since, and I am confident that the friendships we formed will continue to develop, which can only help to increase both understanding and positive community relations across the Bradford District.”