PEAK PERFORMER HITS HIGH SPOT FOR CHARITY

Lake District holiday-park worker Tim Lovatt swapped caravans for climbing gear this autumn to scale Mount Kilimanjaro – and rope in thousands of pounds for a local charity.

Tim, who is site manager at Park Cliffe in Windermere, raised £3,500 for an appeal started by 16-year-old Alice Pyne from Ulverston, Cumbria, who is terminally ill.

Alice has become a worldwide internet hit with her ‘bucket list’ of ambitions which she drew up after being diagnosed with cancer four years ago. Help came from across the globe, and she has been able to swim with sharks, meet Take That and go whale watching in Canada.

The list was completed earlier this year and now she has set up her own charity called Alice's Escapes to help families with seriously-ill children.

The charity's aim is to buy a caravan holiday home in the Lake District which will provide all-expenses paid breaks for sufferers and their relatives.

Despite never having made such a climb before, Tim Ovatt decided to join a group of 14 other adventurers for the six-day trek to conquer Africa's highest peak for Alice's charity.

At 52 years old, Tim was the oldest member of the group. Despite this, he was among the ten who overcame altitude sickness and finally made it to the near-6000m-high summit.

Park Cliffe is no stranger to hitting the high spots. Earlier this year it was a national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence finalist having won the best park in Cumbria award.

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