Bear Grylls sends letter to Clitheroe scouts who raised thousands

Members of St Mary Magdalene Scout Group climbed Pendle Hill at 4am last week in a challenge they called ‘A Taste of Kilimanjaro’.

The fundraising event was to raise money to install a life-saving defibrillator close to where the group meet.

Members of St Mary Magdalene Scout Group climbed Pendle Hill at 4am for a fundraiser (Image: St Mary Magdalene Scout Group)

This will enable fellow scout Ashton Barton to continue being an active member of the Cubs.

Ashton, aged nine, has a complex heart condition called hypo-plastic left heart syndrome which puts him at high risk of having a heart attack.

Committee member Derek Russell said: “Ashton's parents were going to pull him out of cubs but he really didn’t want that.

“He loves being a cub and he is avery vibrant little boy, who just sees himself as a normal boy who occasionally has to go into hospital.

“The leaders decided that the solution was to install a defibrillator nearby and buy their own."

Derek said the boys found the challenge difficult but eventually made it to the summit.

Members of St Mary Magdalene Scout Group climbed Pendle Hill at 4am for a fundraiser (Image: St Mary Magdalene Scout Group)

He said: “Some of them were as young as eight and it’s not easy to trail up a hill at 4am in the dark.

“They found it tough but they didn’t complain. When they got to the top they were having their photographs taken and they were just shouting ‘for Ashton for Ashton’.

“It made my heart bleed and I was nearly in tears knowing they were doing something so worthwhile for a fellow cub and the community.

“The support from parents was off the scale and I want to thank anyone that was involved in it.”

The team set out to raise around £4,000, which is the approximate cost of buying and maintaining one defibrillator.

They smashed that target and managed to raise more than £8,000 on their JustGiving fundraiser. With the extra money they plan to buy another defibrillator for Ashton and his family to have near their home.

Their fundraising efforts even captured the attention of former SAS soldier Bear Grylls, known for his survival skills and appearance in shows such as Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Bear Grylls: Born Survivor.

Bear was the UK’s youngest ever chief scout when he was appointed in 2009, aged 34.

Today, he remains the public face of the Scouts in the UK.

Bear wrote a letter to the group congratulating them for their fundraising efforts.

It said: “You are a true inspiration to us all.

“I know how important it is to have access to life-saving equipment in emergency situation.

“Defibrillators like yours can make all the difference in a cardiac arrest and they fact you’ve raised more than £8,000 to make them available to your community is remarkable.

“Your trek sounds like hard work but great fun. I am especially proud of the values you’ve shown. Your commitment to helping others is a shining example of what it means to be a true scout.

“Throughout your challenge you’ve created memories that will last a lifetime.

“More importantly, you’ve helped your friend, Ashton, while supporting people in your community.”

Derek said the scouts were ecstatic when they received the letter.

“One little boy was a massive fan and he was bouncing around the room,” he said.

“One of the team leaders burst into tears, as did Ashton’s mother. She just couldn’t stop crying which shows how much it meant to all those involved.

“We sent Bear a copy of our first press release and asked if he would like to join us.

“We never heard anything back but they were obviously tracking our Facebook page and knew when were doing it, which makes the letter even more thoughtful.

“The letter encapsulated everything that we stand for. It’s nice to think that we have done something so worthwhile that it has been recognised by someone like Bear Grylls.”