On Friday 20 June the MANTIS team climbed Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland’s highest peak, raising money for Cancer Fund for Children. We passed our target.

Every week, three children and young people in Northern Ireland receive a cancer diagnosis. Cancer Fund for Children supports over 1,500 children and young people aged 0 to 24 affected by cancer each year, along with their families.

Why this charity

Our Chairman, Mark Dowds, took part in the 26 Mountains 2 Mayo challenge with 24 other business owners: 26 of Ireland’s highest peaks in nine days, close to 11,000 metres of ascent.

Mark, who has his own experience of cancer and recovery, said that "conquering cancer – especially for a child or young person – can feel just as insurmountable" as the climbing. The 26M2M campaign has been working towards a £1 million target for Cancer Fund for Children.

Our Slieve Donard climb was a smaller contribution to the same cause.

What the money does

Cancer Fund for Children provides practical, emotional and financial support: therapeutic short breaks, over 450 a year, and support in hospitals and at home across Ireland. They work with children who have been diagnosed, and with young people living with a parent who has cancer.

About 95% of families report they managed cancer better after receiving their support.

Daisy Lodge, one of their centres, sits at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, close to Slieve Donard itself. Phil Alexander, CEO of Cancer Fund for Children, put it this way: "This campaign is more than just a challenge, it’s a lifeline for children and families battling the toughest fight of their lives."

The total

Team MANTIS raised £2,543 against a target of £2,000.

Small amounts buy resources for Cancer Support Specialists. Larger ones fund an hour of home support for a child dealing with a parent’s diagnosis, or send a young person to a programme with others in the same situation.

The climb

Slieve Donard is 850m. We took the Glen River trail from the Donard car park in Newcastle, a round trip of roughly 10km through pine, birch and oak, steepening over the bridges before the final pull to the summit by the saddle between Donard and Slieve Commedagh.

On a clear day the summit looks out to the Isle of Man, the Wicklow Mountains, and sometimes Wales, Scotland and Donegal. It was a good day for it.

As Mark Dowds puts it, "Together, we’ll continue to make sure no child faces cancer alone."

Thank you to everyone who donated.

Team MANTIS on our Slieve Donard climb via our JustGiving page here

Mark Dowds’ 26M2M challenge here