£4k donation gifted to Dundee breast cancer unit

Three Dundonians have donated £4,250 to Ninewells breast screening unit after completing the Three Peaks Challenge in September this year.

Andrew Wallace, Simon Allison and Jack Boyle completed the Three Peaks Challenge earlier this year. Photo: Andrew Wallace

Friends Andrew Wallace, Simon Allison and Jack Boyle participated in the gruelling event, with Simon’s sister Jo acting as a support crew by driving the team between each peak.

Donation to breast screening unit at Ninewells

Andrew said, “We wanted to do something challenging and a bit different. We chose the breast screening unit as there is a link between the unit and all three of us.

From left to right, Judy Dixson, Debbie Archibald, Douglas Brown and Jo Allison with fundraisers Jack Boyle, Simon Allison and Andrew Wallace, flanked by Avril Gunning. Photo: NHS Tayside

“Simon’s sister Jo is a nurse there and unfortunately both Jack’s mum and my mum have had breast cancer in the past and were very well looked after by the staff at the unit. This is our way of saying thank you.”

Debbie Archibald, Breast Screening Services Manager, said: “We are extremely grateful to Andrew, Simon and Jack for their hard work in completing the Three Peaks Challenge and to everyone who sponsored them. This is a generous donation and will go towards patient comfort.”

Andrew added: “We climbed a number of hills in the local area in the evenings after work and had the odd weekend trip away, including a trip to Ben Nevis to familiarise ourselves with the climb.

“Most of our fundraising was done via social media; predominately Facebook and Twitter. The hashtag #3Peaks3Geeks quickly raised publicity about the event, with many of our Twitter followers referring to it. We were humbled by the support we received from our colleagues in each of our offices across the east coast. They too made a big difference in spreading the word.

The money the men raised was donated to NHS Tayside's Breast Screening Unit at Ninewells Hospital. Photo: Andrew Wallace

“We are happy to continue to raise awareness and provide support for the unit and in turn hopefully encourage local women to get themselves checked as we have seen the benefits regular screenings can have.”