TWO men who work for West Yorkshire's ambulance service are raising money for a national charity.
They are going to walk part of the Great Wall of China to raise cash for the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
Pete Grasby, general manager for training, and Geoff Langstaff, locality director for Calderdale and Huddersfield, worked with staff from the trust in June, training ambulance staff in personal safety.
Now, they are undertaking their own physical training before travelling to China on Saturday, October 18.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust trains people to control violence and aggression in the workplace, particularly against women.
It was set up in memory of Suzy Lamplugh, the estate agent who went missing in 1986 after arranging to meet an unknown client.
Pete said: "Ambulance crews are coming under increasing pressure these days, due to the drink and drug culture.
"Training staff in the service to deal with - and ideally avoid - conflict is essential, as we deal with extreme variations in the patients whom we treat. Our crews' safety is paramount."
Pete and Geoff will be trekking around 50 miles in five days, including stretches over steep terrain and through dense foliage in places where the wall is too dangerous to walk on.
They will be joined by 14 other fundraisers from all walks of life and have been swimming, cycling and training in the gym for four months.
Pete and Geoff need to raise £5,000. They have given £1,600 themselves and sponsorship from businesses has taken the total to £3,400 so far. They are now asking the public for support to raise the remaining £1,600.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Pete and Geoff should make cheques payable to The Suzy Lamplugh Trust and send them to Pete Grasby, WYMAS HQ, Threelands, Bradford Road, Birkenshaw, BD11 2AH. The phone number is 01274 707070.
