Throughout the climb, half of the team wore a pair of specially-adapted glasses that simulated various eye conditions including tunnel vision, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.
It enabled the team to experience first-hand what it is really like to try and overcome an uncertain environment with sight loss; they also took it in turns to experience being a guide for a partially sighted person.
The challenge covered a distance overall of more than 17km with a climb of 3,120 ft.
The team has so far raised a staggering £5,134 and the money still continues to roll in. Some of the money was raised through sponsorship on the team t-shirt with generous donations made by SDC Builders Ltd, Associated Architects, bb+c architects, Wates Construction Ltd, Scott Brownrigg and Couch Perry Wilkes.
The money raised will enable RNIB to add three children’s titles to its library of Talking Books, which provides a lifeline to the outside world for blind and partially sighted people in the UK, completely free-of-charge.
Ian Wakeling, who came up with the idea, said: “We wanted our fund-raising event to be a unique challenge and as well as raising much-needed money for a worthwhile charity we wanted to test ourselves.
“Project management can sometimes mean that each individual works in isolation so we wanted to do something that brought us together as a team. Using the glasses, we had no choice but to work as a team and we clearly underestimated how difficult and disorientating it would be just wearing the glasses, let alone trying to negotiate mountainous terrain.
“However, we were all determined to complete the challenge and raise money for the RNIB as their work is so valuable. We can also help spread the message that all these conditions which we experienced through the glasses are preventable, and encourage people to have regular eye tests to catch sight loss early.”
Haidee Turner, RNIB Area Fundraising Manager, said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Bidwells who took part in this incredible challenge, as well as those who sponsored them so generously. The money they’ve raised will enable us to add three children’s books to our Talking Books library, helping to give the gift of reading to even more blind and partially sighted children here in the UK."
The team are still continuing to raise money for RNIB and to make a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/BidwellsPM or to sponsor a Talking Book, visit www.rnib.org.uk/sponsortalkingbooks
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