Walking With The Wounded - The Cumbrian Challenge 2026
Partner: EMPOWER – Walking With The Wounded
Walking With The Wounded is a charity that supports those who have served with mental health, employment and wraparound care coordination programmes tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Whether mentally, socially or physically wounded, it provides bespoke services dedicated to getting those who have fallen the furthest back on track and to move forward with their lives.
Event: The Cumbrian Challenge 2026
- Locations: Grasmere Showground, The Showfield, Stock Lane, Grasmere, Cumbria LA22 9SJ
- Date: Friday 15 – Saturday 16 May 2026
- Volunteering Hours: 16 x 8 = 128 hours = £2,237.44
- Donations: £1,875 entrance fee
- Fundraising: £2,035.31
Social Value Created: £6,147.75
(NT29a – Support for charities & community projects focused on positive health outcomes)
In order to help support this great work, on Friday 15 May, five teams decided to take part in our first Walking with the Wounded Cumbrian Challenge. Seventeen ‘Solutioners’ were released from everyday duties to head across the country to Grasmere, in order to register and take part in safety briefings, meet the Walking With The Wounded team and beneficiaries and get ready for the Challenge early the next morning.
At the crack of dawn on Saturday 16th May, one team took on ‘The Peak’ route (12.5km; 631m ascent); two teams took on ‘The Tough’ route (22km; 1,140m ascent) and our final two teams very bravely tackled ‘The Tougher’ (27km; 1,570m ascent).
From Apprentices through to our Chief Operating Officer, there was lots of, laughter, at times some tears, plenty of digging deep to face the challenge and lots of us going beyond and past our comfort zones, but every single one of us made it back safely back to base camp, where we received our medals and enjoyed some more time together in the sun.
It was amazing to all come together for a fantastic cause; to meet the beneficiaries of the charity; and to bond as a team in the fresh air with some absolutely cracking views – all whilst raising money to support those who have served and protected us!
Joel Oxberry, Deputy CEO, Walking With The Wounded said:
“It was fantastic to welcome the Hire Safe Solutions team to the Cumbrian Challenge for the first time. Five teams taking part in their first year is an incredible commitment, and the enthusiasm from everyone involved was infectious. They fully embraced the spirit of the event and raised an incredible amount of money to support veterans and their families in the process. We’re hugely grateful for Hire Safe Solutions’s support and hope this is just the beginning of what we can achieve together. We’re counting down the days until we see them back on the start line in 2027!”
A big well done to everyone – besides our entrance fees of £1,875, we raised £2,035.31 in sponsorship which will all go to help support veterans with mental health, housing and employment initiatives. We are all (well almost all!) looking forward to coming back in 2027…
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