From taxis to tumble rocks: Northamptonshire taxi company raises £3,200 for cancer charity

A local taxi company’s managers traded four wheels for sheer rock faces after taking on a brutal wilderness challenge alongside a fellow local manager — and they’ve helped take the fundraising total beyond an incredible £15,000.

Jodie Wright, Site Manager for Take Me Wellingborough and Director of National Driver Recruitment, joined Take Me Area Manager for Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, Gareth Footbatten, and other managers from Take Me for Challenge the Wild in the Lake District.

And this wasn’t exactly a relaxing break away.

They were thrown straight into the wilderness for three days and two nights of camping, with no running water, no home comforts and certainly no room service!

Their days were even tougher.

They faced scrambling, rock climbing, abseiling, canyoning and gruelling 20-mile hikes, pushing themselves physically and mentally to the limit.

Then, after a day of climbing, walking, crawling and clinging to rocks, it was back to their tents to recover — before doing it all again the following morning.

“WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR?”

For Jodie, the challenge was about pushing herself far beyond her comfort zone — but there was a much bigger reason for doing it.

The pair took on Challenge the Wild to raise money for Hope Against Cancer, a charity dedicated to funding innovative cancer research and supporting clinical trials and projects aimed at improving treatments and outcomes for people affected by cancer.

And the gruelling challenge has certainly paid off.

Jodie and Gareth and the rest of the Take Me team have raised £3,200 through their fundraising efforts, contributing to a fantastic overall total of more than £15,000 raised through the wider challenge.

Jodie, from Wellingborough, said:

“There were definitely moments when I thought, ‘What on earth have I signed myself up for?’

“When you’re cold, exhausted, covered in mud and standing in front of a rock face wondering how you’re going to get up it, giving up can seem like a very tempting option!

“But then you remember why you’re doing it.

“We had the choice to put ourselves through three days of discomfort. For people living with cancer, and their families, the challenges they face aren’t something they can simply choose to walk away from.

“That thought kept me going when my legs were screaming at me to stop.

“Every climb, every mile, every freezing night and every moment we pushed ourselves was for something bigger than us.

“Coming home with aching muscles was one thing, but knowing that Gareth and I had raised £3,200, and helped contribute to a total of more than £15,000, made every single step worthwhile.

“If the money we have raised can help fund research, improve treatments or give hope to someone and their family at one of the hardest times in their lives, then it was worth every muddy, exhausting and terrifying moment.”

£3,200 FROM TAKE ME — £15,000+ OVERALL

The £3,200 raised by Jodie and Gareth, alongside the fundraising efforts of the wider Challenge the Wild participants, has helped push the overall amount raised to more than £15,000 for Hope Against Cancer.

The money will help the charity continue its work funding innovative cancer research and supporting clinical trials designed to improve treatment and outcomes for cancer patients.

For the Take Me team, the challenge was a chance to do something completely different — and incredibly difficult — while raising money for a cause that affects thousands of families.

There were no taxis to jump into when the legs got tired.

No warm office to retreat to.

And definitely no quick trip home when the weather turned!

Instead, they had each other, their teammates and one very important motivation — raising as much money as possible for Hope Against Cancer.

FROM THE OFFICE TO THE OUTBACK

For people used to managing taxi operations, drivers and recruitment, taking on mountains, ravines and 20-mile treks was certainly a change of scenery.

But after three days and two nights in the wilderness, countless challenges and a few very sore muscles, Jodie and Gareth can now say they conquered Challenge the Wild.

And they didn’t just come home with some impressive stories to tell.

They came home having raised £3,200 and helped push the wider fundraising total beyond £15,000 for a cause that could genuinely help change lives.

From taxis to tumble rocks — it’s certainly one way to get out of the office!

£3,200 raised by Take Me’s managers. £15,000+ raised overall. One incredible cause.