PageGroup's Three Peaks Challenge raises £35,000 for Dementia Research

London, 17 June 2013: Dedicated PageGroup employees from across the UK reached heady heights on Saturday, 15 June when they scaled the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Over 90 staff from specialist recruitment company PageGroup swapped their office clothes for hiking gear for the annual fundraising challenge, which saw them climb the three highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Along the way the group raised plenty of money for the UK’s leading dementia research charity, with their combined fundraising total expected to reach £40,000.

Staff at PageGroup, who selected Alzheimer’s Research UK for a two-year Charity Partnership earlier this year, have taken on the challenge of covering 200,000 miles between them in an attempt to raise £200,000 for innovative dementia research. Offices across the country have pledged to fundraise to support two PageGroup Research Scholarships, bringing two bright researchers into the dementia research field on PhD programmes.

The Three Peaks Challenge is PageGroup’s main fundraising event of the year and has already raised over £200,000 for charity over the last four years. For the fifth year running, the challenge saw employees from PageGroup’s 31 offices join forces for a tough 25-mile hike across the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in just one day. The event traditionally sparks PageGroup employees’ competitive spirit, and some people even chose to run the distance in a bid to be the first across the finish line.

Olly Watson, managing director of PageGroup, said:

“Every year I’m amazed at the determination our staff show in completing this exhausting challenge. PageGroup employees are a motivated group and it’s no surprise to see so many of them took part in this year’s event. Although there’s always an air of friendly competition, there’s no doubt that our Three Peaks Challenge is a real team effort – with everyone’s input it’s always been a hugely successful fundraiser, and this year was no different. This annual event is a great chance to bring our staff from across the UK together, and knowing that the money raised will go to fund vital dementia research makes it even more worthwhile.”

Steve Hudd, director of fundraising at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“This is a fantastic challenge, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the staff at PageGroup for taking on such a gruelling endeavour! Their support is enabling us to bring two new scientists into dementia research, giving a boost to the field as a whole as well as helping find answers to specific dementia research questions.

“Currently over 820,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, yet we lack effective treatments to stop the diseases that cause it. Research is vital if we are to make these much-needed new treatments a reality, and it’s thanks to people like the staff at PageGroup that we can continue funding our pioneering research.”

To add to the PageGroup team’s fundraising total, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/PageGroupYorkshireThreePeaks.

PageGroup (formally known as Michael Page International) is one of the world’s best-known and well-respected professional recruitment consultancies. Established more than 36 years ago in the United Kingdom, we now span 156 offices in 34 countries. We are a leading provider of permanent, contract and temporary recruitment for clerical professionals, qualified professionals and executives.

Through organic growth we have become a FTSE 250 company with more than 5,042 employees globally. We operate a consultative approach to professional recruitment combining local know-how with global expertise, to find the best fit between client and candidate.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading charity specialising in finding preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia. To help us defeat dementia, donate today by visiting www.alzheimersresearchuk.org or calling 0300 111 5555. We are currently supporting dementia research projects worth over £20 million in leading Universities across the UK.