British Gypsum geologist tackles fears for charity

An employee at plaster and plasterboard manufacturer British Gypsum has raised more than £15,000 for charity with a 24-hour extreme outdoor challenge.

Jeremy Elvin, company geologist at the East Leake head office, is afraid of heights and confined spaces but still took part in the ‘Sump to Summit’ challenge from Derbyshire to the Lake District.

The challenge involved scaling Giant’s Hole in Castleton, Derbyshire, one of the deepest caves in England, before cycling 130 miles to the Lake District. Twenty four hours later, after intermittent refreshment stops and lashings of torrential rain, the group finished at the top of Scafell Pike, the highest fell in the country.

All money raised was donated to children’s charity, Safe and Sound who work to end child sexual exploitation.

Elvin said: “It was a really tough challenge for everyone involved, from the participants to the support team. We managed to raise such a huge amount of money for a very deserving charity and it was great to represent British Gypsum during the challenge. I couldn’t have done it without the support and sponsorship of all my colleagues.”

He also raised over £600 pounds for Wasdale Mountain Rescue, in memory of a friend and fellow geologist who died last December.