Blister Blasters gear up for walking challenge

Published by Craig Downs for Cestria Community Housing in Housing and also in Communities

Four members of staff from a County Durham-based housing association have set themselves a challenge by walking 100km in 30 hours.

The staff from Chester-le-Street social landlord, Cestria Community Housing will participate in the Oxfam Trailtrekker 2013 challenge on 1^st & 2^nd June in Yorkshire to raise money for the charity.

The team, which calls themselves the Blister Blasters, consists of Peter Hewitson, Arshia Bhatti, Craig Ball and Esther Windass, who will join over 300 other teams to walk 100km in the space of 30 hours.  The challenge will see them walk the equivalent of just over two marathons non-stop on all sorts of terrain, from remote moorlands at dawn to the 600 steps of Malham Cove to the summit of Fountains Fell (668m).

A back-up team, also from Cestria Community Housing, will support them along the way by providing first aid assistance, words of encouragement and even preparing hot meals.

The Blister Blasters are currently training hard and have organised successful fundraising activities to help them achieve their target of £1,800.  The money that they raise will make a difference and change lives by providing clean water and sanitation during emergencies, funding long-term projects in areas such as health or education and help towards campaign work in developing countries such as Africa.

Event organiser and customers services team leader at Cestria Community Housing, Esther Windass said: “We are not underestimating the scale of this challenge – its going to be very, very demanding but we will help and encourage each other along the way and with help from our support crew, we are confident that we will be able to achieve this. 

“The most important part of this challenge is to raise money for Oxfam and all monies raised will go a long way to making a difference to other people’s lives.  We are nervous but also looking forward to the challenge.”

Paul Fiddaman, Chief Executive at Cestria Community Housing, said: “I am very proud of the staff for taking on such a big challenge but I know they have been training hard and am confident that they will succeed by raising lots of money for a worthy cause.  As well as the main team and support crew, they have the support of all the staff within the organisation.”

If you would like to sponsor the Blister Blasters team from Cestria Community Housing, please make any donations by logging onto www.justgiving.com/cestria or calling Cestria Community Housing on 0191 385 1900.

Further information on the Trailtrekker Challenge can be found at www.oxfam.org.uk/trailtrekker.