We’re now deep into our government lockdown with many of us only leaving our homes for essential supplies or popping out for a bit of exercise. At Old Cryptians we would like to try and do our small part in trying to help as a club with a proud history that is part of both the rugby and local community.

With so many worthwhile causes that deserve support and with both the NHS and charities doing such selfless and essential work its difficult to know where to start however we have selected one such cause and would like to raise money for the local Sue Ryder hospice.

Sue Ryder supports people through the most difficult times. Whether that's a terminal illness, the loss of a loved one or a neurological condition they are there when it matters. Their doctors, nurses and carers give people the compassion and expert care to help them live the best lives that they possibly can which is now made even more challenging as a result of COVID19.

Due to the devastating impact Coronavirus is having the hospice at Leckhampton court is facing funding gap of £640,000 every month. They have an emergency appeal to protect the specialist end of life care that they provide.

To raise money we are setting a Gloucester 3 Peak Challenge to run up 3 local hills.

This involves:

- Run, walk or even skip up Robinswood Hill, Portway Hill and Painswick Beacon (any order you like)

- Donate £5 per hill or £12.50 for all 3 to the JustGiving page. Anyone can join in and you can simply sponsor individuals or choose to make a donation.

- Record your time from the designated start and end points . Instructions will be provided and you can use an app such as Strava to track your work!

- The fastest time to the top of each summit will win 'King of the Hill' and the overall winner with the fastest combined times will take the Glaws 3 Peak 'Yellow Jersey' title and there will be a 'Golden Yeti' award for the vets!

THE ROUTES:

Painswick Beacon:
From the Kings Head go straight up the B4073 (keep going past Pickles House at Castle End) and when you see the Beacon head straight for the top (Don’t go to the carpark) choosing your preferred route to the trigg point.

Portway:
Start at the turning of Birchall Lane & High Street and keep going until you hit the ‘50’ speed sign at the A46 junction which is showing as a whole 1.8 miles and 518 ft on the maps. There are ups and downs but there are certainly stretches where you would prefer to be running the other way!

Robinswood Hill:
Start from outside the Robinswood hill Café at the base of the steps and follow your nose to the trigg point at the top. There are a few different paths so its up to you to find your own with some being more direct and steep whilst others being longer but a slightly easier gradient.

IMPORTANT - We want everyone to follow the government safety guidelines and only participate in the challenge while social distancing and/or exercising with people from inside your own household. We want everyone to stay safe at the crucial time.

You can donate to my JustGiving page by clicking here or entering the below address into your browser:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/old-crypts-fundraising-rfc?fbclid=IwAR3ZNw8ik2Z8uvgbsC8-kolypqhyzSYrHTT_foalwcLfnMn6Sd3J6rZdnb0