Three Mountains, Two Sore Feet and One Incredible Purpose

Hello PPMA members and friends

In 2022 Jonathan Stephenson, the Chief Executive of Brentwood Borough and Rochford District Councils, founded the Public Sector Challenge to raise funds for charity and in particular Cancer Research UK. Since then it has grown in participant size and fundraising, and is now supported by the likes of SOLACE, the LGA, The MJ and numerous private sector partners. Last year the funding target was £50,000, and eventually £60,000 was raised and in 2024 the target was set at £250.000. Nichola Mann is a PPMA VP and Acting Joint Director for People & Governance for Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council and has taken part in the challenge since the beginning and below is her story.

Rewind to 2022, which saw a partnership between Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council begin. Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive of Brentwood and Rochford Council’s came up with an innovative idea for two reasons, one to raise money for a charity close to many of our hearts, Cancer Research UK, following the sad loss of two of our colleagues at Brentwood Borough Council and also to create an opportunity for teams across Brentwood and Rochford to come together.

In September 2022, the Public Sector Challenge commenced with a number of colleagues across Brentwood and Rochford completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks in under 12 hours, there were lots of adventures and memories made that day, with a number of us including me getting very lost and therefore unfortunately not being able to complete the challenge. But that aside we raised money for cancer research and started to build connections across the partnership.

Jonathan then decided to step up the challenge as well as opening participation across the public sector. In June 2023 we embarked on the National Three Peaks with the challenge to climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within 24 hours. Story of my life….I only managed to undertake Ben Nevis and never quite made it to the top, however what I witnessed over the 24 hours was everyone coming together, supporting and encouraging each other and forging bonds over their common goal to complete the challenge and raise as much money as they could.

So, when Jonathan decided to go even bigger with his 2024 challenge, I put my name down again…it was going back to the Yorkshire Three Peaks, so I needed to redeem myself and prove I could climb more than one mountain, as well as not get lost. The ambition this time was to grow the participation nationally and a target to raise £250,000 for Cancer Research was set.

On the 6 September, I dusted of my walking boots and joined the challenge along with 600 other participants that had signed up across the country and we set off to undertake this challenge, which involved a grueling 24-mile (38.6km) trek, with a 1585m (5200ft) ascent, all completed in under 12 hours.

I managed to redeem myself in part, I didn’t get lost, and am no longer known as Nichola one mountain, but more impressively Nichola two mountains. I unfortunately didn’t get to complete the third mountain due to timings, but I conquered my own challenge that day, as did many others and everyone that took part should be immensely proud of their achievements.

Together, we have raised over £220,000 (including Gift Aid) so far and are so close to reaching our target so if you can help us to reach this please click on the link and let’s give it one final push to reach the goal