Flipside CIC National 3 Peaks Challenge - summer solstice adventure!

Why I’m Taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge for Flipside CIC

This year, I’m taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge - climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), in just 24 hours - to raise funds for Flipside CIC, where I’m proud to serve as Operations, Funding & Delivery Management Director.

I’ve undertaken this challenge twice before, but not for over a decade. And I’ll be honest, I’m both excited and a little nervous.

A lot has changed since I last stood on those summits. In the years between, I’ve moved countries three times, been through 17 rounds of IVF, experienced pregnancy, and become a mum. I’m now in my 40s, and those experiences have shaped me physically, mentally and emotionally. My body isn’t the same as it was in my twenties - but my resolve is stronger. This challenge will demand more preparation, patience and determination than it once did, and I’m ready for that.

What those years have taught me is resilience. How to keep going when things are hard, uncertain or exhausting. How to take things one step at a time. And how much strength you can find when you commit to something that really matters.

That’s why I’m doing this challenge - not just for myself, but for Flipside.

Flipside CIC exists to support people who are facing some of life’s toughest challenges, including homelessness, addiction, long-term unemployment and poor mental health. People who, day after day, demonstrate a level of courage and perseverance that makes climbing mountains feel small in comparison.

The funds I raise will help us launch Flip Forward, our pilot programme designed to help people move from surviving to thriving. We’ll support participants to stabilise their lives, rebuild confidence, develop core life and employability skills, and take meaningful steps toward work that reflects their strengths and potential. And we don’t just walk away, we stay alongside people as they grow, sustain progress and build long-term change.

Our work is rooted in lived experience. Flipside was founded by Jo Brooker and David Kaufman, whose journey began with a chance encounter outside a Sainsbury’s when David was homeless. That moment changed everything, not just for them, but for everyone we hope to support through Flipside.

I know this challenge will push me. There will be moments when my legs burn, my mind tells me to stop, and the temptation to quit is real. But those moments will remind me exactly why this matters. Because the people we support face far greater challenges every single day, often without the safety nets many of us take for granted.

Every donation turns effort into opportunity.

Every step helps build stability, confidence and real pathways forward.

Thank you for supporting Flipside.

Thank you for believing in what we’re building.

And thank you for helping turn challenge into change.