Gary & Mark Take Fundraising to New Heights

Inspired by Gary and Mark?

11 hours. A knife-edge ridge. A fear of heights. And over £1,000 raised for Street Paws.

On Saturday 22nd August, Gary Heasley and his friend Mark took on an incredible challenge for Street Paws - climbing Ben Nevis via the Càrn Mòr Dearg arête. Now if you don’t know what that is (like we didn’t)….lets just say they definitely didn't choose the easy way up.

Rather than taking the usual route, Gary and Mark opted for the much more challenging CMD arête, involving steep climbs, scrambling, huge boulders and a narrow ridge with some pretty serious drops on either side.

To make things even more interesting, Gary isn't exactly a fan of heights!

11 hours on Ben Nevis

Setting off from Torlundy at around 9am, the pair started their day battling through boggy ground and thick heather, which slowed them down and quickly started to drain their energy.

Eventually, they made it onto higher ground where they were rewarded with incredible views of the North Face of Ben Nevis.

Then came the bit Gary had been thinking about most - the CMD arête.

Despite the intimidating drops, Gary found much of the ridge more manageable than he'd expected. That was until they reached one particularly narrow section, around three feet wide with sheer drops down either side.

His solution was simple: get down on all fours, keep his head down and absolutely do not look over the edge!

With the ridge safely behind them, they then had to tackle a steep boulder field on already tired legs before finally reaching the summit of Ben Nevis.

After the obligatory summit photo, a sandwich and a chance to take in what they'd achieved, there was still the long journey back down.

More than 11 hours after setting off, Gary and Mark completed their challenge.

A few pints and a pizza were definitely deserved after that!

Over £1,000 raised for Street Paws

As impressive as reaching the summit was, Gary and Mark were doing it for an even bigger reason.

Their challenge has raised over £1,000 for Street Paws, helping us continue supporting people experiencing homelessness and their pets.

We know that when someone loses their home, their pet can become even more important. They can provide companionship, comfort, routine and unconditional love during an incredibly difficult and uncertain time.

The money raised by people like Gary and Mark, helps us provide free accessible veterinary care to pets belonging to people experiencing homelessness, alongside practical support to help keep animals happy and healthy.

It also helps us work towards something much bigger.

Through our Pet Champion Scheme, we work with hostels and homelessness services to help them become more pet inclusive. We provide training, resources, guidance and ongoing support to help services safely welcome people alongside their pets.

Because after losing your home, you shouldn't then have to lose your best friend too.

Could you take on a challenge for Street Paws?

Gary and Mark have shown just how much difference one fundraiser can make.

But don't worry - you don't have to climb a mountain! Fundraising can be whatever you want to make it.

Maybe you've always wanted to run a 10K or take on a long-distance walk. You could organise a bake sale at work, get your friends together for a quiz night, do a sponsored silence, take on a fitness challenge or finally do that slightly ridiculous thing you've been talking about for years.

It doesn't have to be huge and you don't have to raise thousands of pounds.

A small fundraiser with your friends, family or colleagues still raises vital funds. Just as importantly, every person who hears why you're fundraising learns a little more about Street Paws and the challenges facing people experiencing homelessness with pets.

Gary started with an idea to climb a mountain.

That idea turned into more than £1,000 to help people and pets facing homelessness.

So, the question is…

What could you do?

If Gary and Mark have inspired you, we'd love you to take on your own challenge for Street Paws.

Whether you're climbing a mountain, running your first 5K, baking 100 cupcakes or coming up with something completely different, we'll be cheering you on.

Every mile, cake, challenge and donation helps us continue supporting both ends of the lead.

A huge thank you to Gary and Mark for taking on Ben Nevis for Street Paws, and to everyone who donated and supported them along the way.

Now, who's next? 🐾