Staff at Go Ape go bananas for charity
Staff at Go Ape Haldon Forest in Devon, near Exeter, are literally going bananas to support Teenage Cancer Trust.
Go Ape is the UK’s leading forest adventure and staff from the 28 sites across the country have devised the ‘Big Banana Relay’ to raise much-needed funds for the charity.
The relay will see the ‘Big Banana’ travelling a total of 1,823 miles across the UK with the Go Ape gorillas using the quirkiest forms of travel possible.
The relay got underway at Leeds Castle on Saturday 14 June and the ‘Big Banana’ made its way to Exmouth, where it was handed over to the Go Ape Haldon Forest team at the mouth of the River Exe.
The Haldon Forest tribe then took the ‘Big Banana’ on a hot air ballooning adventure on 12 July, to reach its next destination on the relay route of Go Ape at Margam Country Park near Swansea.
Dressed as gorillas, the team transported the ‘Big Banana’ from Exmouth across to Starcross by ferry where they continued by mountain bike to the Tiverton Balloon Festival, where it ascended to 1,000 feet in a hot air balloon. From there the team travelled by ferry again from Weston Super Mare to Cardiff where it was picked up by the Go Ape Margam Country Park team.
Rebecca Mayhew, Co-Founder and Director of Go Ape, said: “We are proud to support Teenage Cancer Trust and that our Go Ape Team have launched this fantastic fundraising campaign the #BigBananaRelay to raise money and have fun while the ‘Big Banana’ travels 1,823 miles around our Go Ape locations in the UK.”
Kate Collins, Director of Fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust said: “Go Ape are putting the fun back into fundraising and events like the Big Banana Relay will support our work in improving the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer aged 13 to 24.”
Teenage Cancer Trust has been selected by Go Ape staff as its main charity for 2014.
Go Ape hopes to raise funds to help build more Teenage Cancer Trust units in NHS hospitals, maintain existing ones, fund specialist nursing and youth support staff and support the free cancer awareness sessions that are delivered in schools, colleges and universities across the UK.
Donations to the ‘Big Banana Relay’ to support Teenage Cancer Trust can be made at http://www.justgiving.com/GoApe
