Matt returned to Falmer on 3 August for a reunion of the ‘Class of ’83’ University of Sussex Mountaineering Club.  While there he and his fellow old-time USMCers had lunch with the 2021-22 recipient of the Harry Lownds memorial scholarship – and enthusiastic hill walker – Zac De Moor.  It was a real pleasure to spend some time with Zac and hear about how his genetics studies are going.

It was also a great opportunity to get together again with Rob Yates, UoS’s Head of Development, who along with his colleagues in the Alumni team has done so much to help us build and sustain the scholarship fund.

Despite twinges from the previous weekend’s fundraising hike Matt and Harry’s sister Evie headed down to Brighton on Monday 11 July to attend the 2020-2021 University of Sussex School of Life Sciences graduation ceremony.  They were there to congratulate Callum Loader – the 2020-21 recipient of the Harry Lownds memorial scholarship – on the completion of his studies for the MSc in Genetic Manipulation and Molecular Cell Biology.

Over the weekend of 9-10 July Matt completed the Peak District Ultra Challenge taking him in a 100 km figure of eight from Bakewell showground to raise money for the Harry Lownds Memorial Scholarship.

Peak District UltraChallenge start

The first day’s route wound its way in baking sunshine through the grounds of Chatsworth to Baslow and Calver then on to Wardlow and Tideswell, Miller’s Dale, Taddington, Deep Dale, Monsall Head, Great Longstone and back down to Bakewell. Despite the day’s heat a chilly night in a tent by the finish line ensued – sleep was interrupted by finishers of the non-stop challenge including Becky’s cousins James and Tom Kerry who were raising funds for Mesothelioma UK in memory of their Dad, David.

Continue reading “Peak District Ultra Challenge 2022”

We are very pleased to be able to share the Harry Lownds Memorial Scholarship Mid-Year Report for 2022 – those of you who have donated to the fund in Harry’s memory will be cheered to hear how Zac De Moor is making the most of the scholarship, as well as getting out into the hills in places familiar to family friends from the University of Sussex Mountaineering Club

Matt decided to start off Christmas Day by joining the Didcot Parkrun to complete a 5km run as his contribution to the Sepsis Research FEAT virtual Santa dash.

The ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos here speak for themselves about the wisdom of doing this having done no training since his last Parkrun outing immediately before the March 2020 COVID lockdown.

To round off 2021’s UltraChallenge season Becky joined her friend Abi on Sunday 12 September to undertake the second day of the Thames Pathway.  This took them from a dawn start in the mists of Runnymede to an Indian Summer evening finish along the Regatta Course into Henley.  We are very grateful to Abi for her fundraising efforts which considerably boosted the total Becky had raised earlier in the year for Sepsis Research FEAT.

The weekend of 24-25 July saw Becky complete the UltraChallenge Coast to Coast 105km hike from Minehead on the North Somerset coast to Dawlish on the South Devon coast. She was joined by Harry’s sister Rosie. Their efforts – including an epic crossing of the eastern edge of Exmoor in horizontal driving rain – succeeded in raising in excess of £1,000 for the charity Sepsis Research FEAT.