Security specialists to trek the length of Hadrian’s Wall raising funds and awareness for women with breast cancer

Leading London-based intelligence and security firm, Blackstone Consultancy will this weekend trek the length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for Pink Ribbon Foundation, a trust that provides financial support for UK breast cancer charities.

The four-day trek, commencing today (Friday 18th September), will see the team travel a distance of 84 miles (104km) from the west to east of the historic wall, starting in Carlisle and finishing in Newcastle. Aiming to raise both awareness and funds to help women battling through breast cancer during this tough and unprecedented time, the team will trek the width of the country alongside the boundary wall, which was built in 122 AD.

Blackstone Consultancy’s team of Chartered Security Professionals and intelligence specialists operate worldwide from capital cities to some of the world’s most notorious trouble spots. With many of the specialists having military and law-enforcement backgrounds, they’re not ones to shy away from serious physical and mental challenges, but this will be no mean feat. This is a tough challenge with distances of up to 19 miles per day. The trek will cover a variety of terrain including river paths, farmland, rugged moorland and open salt marshes.

With an impressive target of £25,000, the team’s fundraising total currently stands at £16,400 for the Foundation; a grant making trust that funds projects and provides financial support to UK charities that relieve the needs of people who are suffering from, or who have been affected by breast cancer.

Almost two-thirds of women diagnosed with breast cancer today now survive their disease beyond 20 years, but unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for women in receiving early diagnosis and treatment. Pink Ribbon also works to advance the understanding of breast cancer, its early detection and treatment, which is now more important than ever before.

The team will comprise of six specialists from the firm – Simon Giddins, Chris Moses, Rob Bates, Tom Tahany, Dave Neal and Rufus Caldecott. Also participating will be Simon Bennett from YOU Digital, Simon Aitken from Gauntlet Insurance and Adonis Pouroulis from Pella Resources. The team have kindly been sponsored by Cigna, Ecclesiastical, I-Farm, Prestige Valuations & YOU Digital.

Blackstone Consultancy’s Director of Intelligence and Investigations, Chris Moses, who is heading-up the expedition said it would be ‘challenging’ but for a worthy cause. He explained that the team annually complete the ‘Blackstone Consultancy challenge’ raising both awareness and funds for good causes.

He added: “Each challenge represents a new charitable cause, our intention is to rotate from veterans’ charitable concerns, to children and women’s charities. Previously we have cycled 54 miles from South London to Brighton in aid of Blesma, a charity supporting injured veterans and trekked the Sahara Desert raising funds for Children’s Air Ambulance. The charities we choose reflect us and our core values; veterans causes due to our background as former soldiers, children’s charities because we are all fathers or uncles and women’s charities because we are husbands and sons.

“These are charities and causes we feel incredibly strongly about. During these tough and unprecedented times, we feel that it is important to give something back. Not only is it part of us being a socially responsible company, but it feels good to do something good as well.”

Jonathan Prince, Chair of Trustees, Pink Ribbon Foundation also offered words of encouragement for the team. He said: “The Pink Ribbon Foundation is delighted to be chosen as Blackstone Consultancy’s ‘Charity of the Year’. With so many women getting breast cancer and in these challenging times for them to get treatment, we can guarantee that the money Blackstone raises will make a difference to women with and recovering from this terrible disease. We wish all the fundraisers every success and much fun on their Hadrian’s wall trek!”

To support Blackstone Consultancy’s Hadrian’s Wall Challenge, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/blackstone-consultancy