SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Staff at Nationwide building society reached new fundraising heights for the Swindon Cancer Appeal.

More than 50 employees at the Swindon-based finance giant in Pipers Way donned climbing gear to scale a manmade mountain.

And every step they made on the 20ft-high wall raised more money for the charity.

The event, which organisers hope will bring in some £10,000 for the appeal, marks the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic climb up Mount Everest.

The New Zealander was the first person to scale the 29,028-ft mountain, on May 29, 1953.

The building society's Climb Your Own Mountain day saw special climbing walls of different levels of difficulty set up at Nation-wide House, in Swindon, and at the society's administration centre, in Northampton.

Fully trained safety teams were on hand to supervise and assist the climbers.

Nationwide's Andrew Litchfield, head of community relations, who is also a qualified climbing instructor, said: "People living with cancer face their own Everest every day, and Nationwide is challenging employees to climb their own mountain for 15 minutes to raise funds for Macmillan.

"Not only did we have a lot of fun doing this, but we were also raising funds for an extraordinarily professional and dedicated organisation which improves the lives of cancer patients and their families.

"More people came along throughout the day and, seeing the wall, signed up to have a go. It proved quite popular."

Appeal manager, Graz-iella Campisano, said: "Nationwide's climbing event is a fantastic idea and celebrates a double anniversary.

"Firstly, it marks the 10-year partnership between the building society and Macmillan Cancer Relief.

"It also commemorates the first successful ascent of Mount Everest.

"I am constantly delighted and amazed by Nationwide's unfailing commitment to Macmillan. They started the appeal with a massive £80,000 donation and employees continue to help our charity with a variety of events."

Everest was formed about 60 million years ago, but it takes its name from Sir George Everest who was the British surveyor-general of India.

In Nepal it is known as Sagarmatha, which means goddess of the sky.

The Swindon Cancer Appeal has so far raised £102,518.

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