Six friends are preparing to scale one of the world’s tallest peaks as a tribute to a colleague who is facing even greater challenges in his fight against cancer.
Active schools co-ordinators Stuart Glennie, Susan Mackintosh, Derek Atkinson, Kerry Massie and Abigail Hay and PE teacher Roddy Hall are training to climb Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, to raise funds for the charity Friends of Anchor.
The group hopes to raise at least £20,000 between them to help patients in the Anchor (Aberdeen north centre for haematology, oncology and radiotherapy) unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Their friend and former workmate Paul Robinson, who was active schools co-ordinator for the Fraserburgh area, has been receiving treatment in the unit since being told he has terminal cancer.
Mr Robinson, from Tarland, is the only one of the seven to have conquered the African peak himself in the past, so his experience and advice is proving invaluable to the first-time climbers.
Mr Glennie, of Westdyke Drive, Elrick, Aberdeenshire, said Mr Robinson was proving an inspiration to the group. “Some days you get up in the morning and the last thing you feel like doing is going away for a training walk, but then you think about what Paul’s going through and all the other people who find themselves in the Anchor unit and you remember you’ve got nothing to complain about” he said.
The group are all employed by Aberdeenshire Council. Ms Mackintosh, of Reidhaven Street, Whitehills, works in schools in the Banff area; Mr Atkinson, of Seaton Place, Arbroath, is based in the Mearns; Ms Massie, of Mackie Place, Elrick, works around Kemnay and Ms Hay, of North Boddam, Insch, works in the Alford area. Mr Hall, of Reidhaven Street, Whitehills, is a PE and guidance teacher at Turriff Academy.
They are all organising events in their local areas, including race nights, golf outings, an aerobathon, stovies dance, head shaving and a parachute jump, to reach their fundraising target before they set off for Kilimanjaro on October 7.
Ms Mackintosh, who is donating the takings from her aerobics classes, said it was the least they could do after hearing about the care Mr Robinson had received in the Anchor unit.
She said: “Paul has a heart of gold and will do anything to support and help anyone. He is one of the nicest and kindest people I know and I feel privileged to have been inspired by him to raise funds for this charity.”
More information on the group’s exploits can be found at the website www.friendsofanchor.org.