Harry’s Rainbow “Rainbow Climb” fundraising event with Energie Fitness Gym, Kiln Farm

On the weekend of the 16^th and 17^th May, local charity Harry’s Rainbow will be running an online interactive fundraising event with the goal to raise £3,000 by getting participants to collectively climb the height of Everest and beyond.

Like most businesses and charities at this time, Harry’s Rainbow, who provide support and ongoing care for bereaved children and their families in the Milton Keynes area, have been finding it tough.

“This Covid epidemic has presented us with the biggest challenge we have faced since starting our charity nearly nine years ago,” says Odette founder of the Charity. “All our traditional fundraising events that we run through the Spring time have obviously had to be cancelled and even the way we support the children and their families in our care, has had to adapt drastically to this lockdown period.”

Despite the limitations presented by lockdown, Harry’s Rainbow have recognised that the children they support need them now more than ever. So Harry’s Rainbow have teamed up with Arthur Ellis Mental Health Support and the Youth Information Service, both based here in Milton Keynes, to offer specialist mental wellbeing support. They have also adapted to running online events and get togethers using Zoom, so that people can share and chat with each other regularly, whilst they might otherwise be feeling most isolated and alone.

“The event was created by our local gym Energie Fitness, who came up with the idea and are going to support us throughout the weekend. They approached us with the concept that allows individuals or families, anyone really, to participate and have fun along the way,” continues Odette. “We want people to pay from as little as £5 to book their hour’s slot to try and climb as many flights of their stairs at home, or near their home whilst out on their daily exercise. Whilst they are doing it they can join us on Zoom so that we can cheer them on or to chat and help count their climbs.”

Claire, owner of Energie Fitness based in Kiln Farm said, “We wanted to make this event as simple and inclusive as possible so that everyone can do it. Similar to the Willen Hospice 48 hour virtual relay run that we created, we know that using our Zoom platform allows us to get people connected, feeling that they are part of the challenge and to give them the encouragement and support they may need to complete their climbs. It doesn’t matter if someone can only manage a few climbs and then just chats with us, or if a family all take it in turns to do a stint in their hour, every climb will count and be added to a cumulative total.

As the event goes on we will be checking off the famous landmarks and mountains that we surpass and celebrating along the way! For example, it will take just 100 stair climbs to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower, 361 to reach the top of Mount Snowdon and a whopping 3000 climbs to get to the peak of Mount Everest. But we think that with the support of the Milton Keynes community, our members and Harry’s Rainbow’s amazing supporters we could go even higher!”

For more information, to get involved and to volunteer to join the climb go to Harry’s Rainbow Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/events/2893705164081282/

And to make a donation please go to  https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Therainbowclimb