Congleton: Former Eaton Bank pupils raise thousands for cancer charity
By Alex Greensmith 9th Dec 2022
A brother and sister from Marton have raised over £2000 for The Christie, who have a site in Macclesfield.
Harry Cowell, a 22-year-old dairy farmer, and 24-year-old Lydia Cowell, who works for the Environment Agency, scaled some of England's biggest mountains while raising £2150 for The Christie.
The decided to climb three mountains in a day in memory of their parents who both sadly died from cancer.
They walked nearly 25 miles, just short of a marathon, and ascended over 5,500 feet.
They completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, braving the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, in 12 hours.
They raised funds for The Christie as it was the the specialist cancer centre where both their parents were treated.
Their father Adam Cowell, died at 51 in 2017 after a year-long battle with aggressive lymphoma.
"My parents were both treated with such care and respect by the staff at The Christie," said Lydia.
"Dad's cancer was too aggressive to treat, so he spent a lot of time as an inpatient in the hospital. They made sure he was as comfortable as possible, and we couldn't be more grateful for that."
Meanwhile, mother Julie Cowell passed away from secondary breast cancer in 2021.
"Mum received her treatment for secondary breast cancer as an outpatient and the staff were brilliant with her," explained Lydia.
"In addition to the care they had at the hospital, the team also made sure they could both be at home for their final days. That meant the world to us.
"Being a younger person who has experienced loss, especially a loss like ours, can feel very isolating.
"Doing this challenge has given us a way of talking about our parents while also giving back to The Christie."
The beloved parents both had careers supporting people with learning disabilities – Adam worked in garden maintenance and Julie was a teacher.
Harry still lives locally in the family home in Marton, but Lydia now lives in Lancaster with her boyfriend.
"I saw a poster for the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge and thought that it'd be a perfect challenge for us as we love walking," added Harry.
"We took on on three mountains and walked about 25 miles across the day.. It was really tough, but I knew we would smash it."
Despite growing up in a Macclesfield postcode, The duo were educated at Eaton Bank Academy in Congleton on Jackson Road.
"I want to thank Harry and Lydia for their epic hike and the funds raised," said Josh Hughff, sporting events officer at The Christie charity.
"They're both so passionate about The Christie and we're really grateful that they've chosen to fundraise for us."
The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds.
This includes money for care and treatment, research, education and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.
With The Christie Macclesfield opening last December near Congleton, the donation will be greatly appreciated, particularly as £23 million of the £26 million spent for the construction was from public donations.
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