Leicestershire Police takes on Light The Lakes challenge

Leicestershire Police supports Care of Police Survivors Charity by taking part in this year's Light The Lakes challenge.

Many keen participants of Leicestershire Police will be braving the late hour, cold conditions and high peaks, taking part in this year’s Light The Lakes challenge in aid of Care of Police Survivors Charity.

Tomorrow (Friday 21 June) participants will climb one of the 214 peaks in the Lake District at night into Saturday morning, with synchronised lighting of beacons at 3am from the top of their chosen peak.

All efforts are being done to raise money for Care of Police Survivors (COPS) which is dedicated to helping the families of police officers who have lost their lives on duty, rebuild their lives. It aims to ensure that survivors have all the help they need to cope with such a tragedy, and that they remain part of the police family.

Chief Constable Simon Cole said: “As a Trustee of COPS I am very proud to support the Light The Lakes Event, and to see so many Leicestershire colleagues and cadets doing it too.

“Whilst it won’t be easy being in the Lakes in the dark, and overnight, we shall be ensuring that blazing torches are lit on top of peaks in the Lake District at 0300 hours on Saturday 22 June!

“Our team leader is retired DCC Roger Bannister and we will be joined by friends, family and colleagues to support COPS, and the families of those we have lost.”

Emma Hopkins, an Exhibits and Disclosure Officer who last year did the challenge with a friend, is this year braving it alone.

She said: “I’ll be starting off at Wasdale head at around 8pm and make my way up the 892M which will no doubt include some rock climbing to get to the top.

“I’ll hopefully get to the top by around midnight and then stay up until we set the flares off, I hope to see quite a lot from the spot where I’ll be as it’s the eighth highest mountain in the lake.”

Retired PC’s and many from the Mansfield House team are also a few of many more undertaking the challenge and supporting one another along the way.

Eleven cadets will take part in the challenge where they will climb 736 metres to reach the top of Seat Sandal, situated north of the village of Grasmere. The cadets will be joined by four of the force’s cadet leaders and couple of parents. The group plan to ascend the fell in the early evening, ready to set up camp and set their alarms for the synchronised lighting.

Donations greatly appreciated through Simon Cole's JustGiving page