An Ipswich firm has raised over £10,000 for charity after launching a new initiative to encourage colleagues to give back.

The new initiative, dubbed Exec Experience and launched in July, sees each director of facilities management company, Vertas, leading a team of colleagues to raise money for the group's chosen charity, Cancer Research UK. 

The most recent activity, led by Matthew Self, Managing Director at Concertus Design and Property Consultants who are part of the Vertas group, saw colleagues come together to trek up Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon in Wales.

The event, which took place on Saturday September 7, involved a 7.5-mile (12km) hike to the top of Snowdon, the highest peak in Eryri and the most popular mountain in the National Park.

A triumph for the Vertas group employees who hiked up SnowdonA triumph for the Vertas group employees who hiked up Snowdon (Image: Vertas) The guided ascent, starting as the sun rose, took roughly eight hours to complete, and all 12 members successfully reached the bottom before nightfall.

Throughout the day, colleagues from across the business connected and got to know each other, strengthening collaborative relationships outside of their regular day jobs.

The Snowdon event raised £3,134.00 with each participant raising a minimum of £100 - some went the extra mile by raising money through raffles.

Matthew Self, Managing Director at Concertus, said: "It's incredibly inspiring to see everyone coming together to support a great cause. The team spirit helped us through the ascent. I am very proud of the entire team, collectively and individually, for all their efforts."

After the hike, colleagues enjoyed refreshments as they reflected on the day's highlights. 

Vertas, based at  Friars Bridge Rd, Ipswich, thanked everyone who participated, supported and contributed to making the day successful.

There’s still time to donate via Vertas' fundraising page at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/snowdon-guided-ascent-with-matthew-self

Vertas Group's next event will see another team take their bikes to tackle the hills of Derbyshire.

Fundraising as part of the Exec Experience initiative has so far raised a total of 10,500.