23 Sep 2022 Community

Mandate Systems completes the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for The Kirkwood

Earlier this year, Liversedge based business, Mandate Systems, took on the gruelling Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge in memory of their amazing colleague and friend Matthew Inness. Together, they raised an incredible £1,793 for The Kirkwood.  

Having already selected The Kirkwood as a worthy cause they wanted to support, it was back in 2019 that their colleague, Matthew, was devastatingly diagnosed with bowel cancer aged 40. He died on the 4th November 2019. 

In 2020 the Mandate Systems team were planning on using Matthew's bike and turbo trainer to cycle from Land’s End to John O'Groats. However, then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and scuppered their plans.  

Two years after their original fundraiser had to be scrapped, On the 16th June, Amy Kent, Louise & Aimee Rushton, Katie Horan, Jake Berry, Jess Hanson, Josh Crossley and Ryan Tordoff took on the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge in memory of Matthew.  

They had previously tackled the challenge in 2019 to raise funds for Dementia UK and the British Heart Foundation. However with the death of Matthew on their minds this year's climb would be even more poignant.  

Amy and the rest of her colleagues were devastated at the loss of their amazing friend Matthew, who was a huge part of their team.  

She said: "Matthew true to himself continued to work, even into his final week before he was admitted to The Kirkwood’s In-Patient Unit for the final time, passing in the early hours on the 4th November 2019. 

"He came to Mandate Systems for an Engineer Surveyors role. We instantly knew this wasn't the role for him, but he was someone we wanted to work for the business. As a result we took the biggest leap of faith, at the time, to take Matthew on board. He instantly got to work and soon it felt like he had always been here.  

"Supportive to his engineering team, helping them to grow and learn for himself too, Matthew took part in the cycle to work scheme, which gave some of us a smile in the morning watching him cycle down the road in shorts that looked like they were from the 80's.  

"Personally, Matthew and I became good friends. Even during his treatment Matthew didn't let the cancer take him. He continued to work, through his own choice, and support the engineers.  

"During his final week, myself and colleagues that wished to do so went to visit Matthew. I found the surroundings of the hospice calming and tranquil.  

"Helen, Matthew's wife, always spoke highly of the care he was given. Even when five of us rocked up, no one batted an eyelid. The fact Matthew was able to be surrounded by friends and family throughout his stay was amazing and not something that would have been the same in a hospital setting."  

Amy's thoughts and feelings for The Kirkwood grew and she firmly believes in the importance of having The Kirkwood here in our community.  

She added: "The Kirkwood was where our colleague Matthew spent his final days, after a short battle with colon cancer. Not only were they there at the time of his death, they provided support to his wife and three small children, throughout the bereavement process. 

"We are incredibly proud of the money we have raised for charity, which was only possible with the donations received. Many of which came directly from people who knew Matthew and who wanted to support Kirkwood. The messages left truly reflected the person Matthew was and the impact he had on people's lives."  

Amy and her team were ready for their three peaks challenge when it finally came and spoke about the training she and her colleagues put in, she also said how well the challenge went.  

She said: "Some of the group had previously done the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge and knew it was no easy task. Given the fact it was in honour of a work colleague, people were 100% committed from the outset.  

"As we were focussed on raising as much funds as we could along with training for it, time seemed to whizz by in the run up. There was a mix of emotions throughout the group, from apprehension to excitement. No matter how we were feeling, we knew we had to do it, not only to raise money for charity but for the memory of our colleague.  

The team that undertook the challenge was, Amy Kent, Louise & Aimee Rushton, Katie Horan, Jake Berry, Jess Hanson, Josh Crossley and Ryan Tordoff. 

"The challenge itself is a task, which you feel as soon as you start to climb the first hill. There were only three people who took on the challenge who knew Matthew personally, but we were all proud to have taken on the challenge.  

"Even with injuries that slowed down a couple of people, we did not stop because we knew what it was all for. I think many of us were relieved when we got back to the car park. 

"Due to Covid, we had not been able to do the fund raising earlier, this meant a couple of years had passed since we lost Matthew. From the reaction of Matthew's family and friends you could see the positive impact of us doing this in his honour, it gave them a lovely emotional feeling of how well liked and loved he was and that he is always in people's hearts and minds."  

Everyone at The Kirkwood would like to congratulate Amy and her team.