A group of Apprentices from Caterpillar are set to embark on an epic challenge over the next six months.

Starting this month the team will be taking on six challenging climbs and walks culminating in a group completing a Fire and Ice Ultra Challenge in Iceland – all in aid of local mental health charity Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind.

The apprentices will climb Mount Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis. They will walk the Coastal Walk from Blakney to Cromer and 50km in the Lake District and finish by trekking across the volcanic mountains and frozen landscape of Iceland in September. The team consists of around 16 employees from the apprenticeship program and together they will be looking to complete all challenges, while documenting their journey and raising money through their efforts and additional fundraising activities.

Grace Gourlay, one of the team, explained why she will be taking part: ‘I feel like mental health is just as important as your physical health and anything I can do to help is very important.’ With the events about to start, Leo Cole is ready: ‘I’ve been training on rougher terrain to tune up with Snowdon first up. Mental health touches everyone, I’ve seen aspects of it at work. Everyone goes through ups and downs, but it’s not talked about much. There is a long way to go’.

Even though it is six months away, there is no doubt the team have their sights focused on the last event in Iceland. ‘It’s a really beautiful country and instead of going for a holiday, we are going for a cause to raise money for CPSL Mind and a nice way to spend time with other apprentices, said Arminas Ramutis.

Gary Sutcliffe, Fundraising and Communications Manager at CPSL Mind, is backing the team all the way: ‘We are very grateful to the team of Apprentices as they start this epic challenge. It’s going to be a lot of walking and climbing, and I wish them the very best of luck over the next six months and all the challenges.’

If you would like to support the team in this epic challenge please visit their Just Giving page.