Teams make a Great Xscape in support of St Elizabeth Hospice

The 2013 St Elizabeth Hospice Great Xscape took place on Saturday 6th April and raised around £10,000.

20 teams of 3-4 people were blindfolded, taken by coach to a mystery location and then challenged to make their way back to the Shipwreck Bar and Restaurant in Shotley Gate.

This year’s mystery location was revealed to be HMP & YOI Hollesley Bay, and featured a challenging twist designed to test the fundraising skills of the teams to the limit. On arrival at the prison, teams were locked in rooms armed only with mobile phones, and were challenged to raise £50 each in sponsorship over the phone to secure their release.

Once released, participants used a variety of transport methods to make their way back to Shotley Gate, with cars, buses, coaches and trains all being used.

Many took part in fancy dress, with costumes ranging from pirates to nuns. By completing a series of challenges en-route, teams could earn bonuses that reduced their overall completion time, giving them a better chance at winning.

The winning team was ‘Outnumbered’ from electricity supplier Haven Power, made up of Zoe Gooch, Lauren Jones, Matthew Watkins and Letitia Woodward, with a time of two hours and four minutes. The prize for best fancy dress was awarded to Heroes in a Half Shell, who had dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Event organiser Emily Sullivan said “It’s been an absolutely brilliant day and raising around £10,000 will help us continue to provide our services free of charge to the local community and improve the lives of people living with a progressive illness. I’d like to thank all of the teams for taking part and everybody who has supported them, including anybody who has sponsored our participants or given them a lift.”

Emily also thanked all the volunteers who helped out at the event, the Shipwreck Bar and Restaurant for hosting the event and providing a buffet, Angus Coaches and Harlequin Travel for transporting the teams, HMP & YOI Hollesley Bay for allowing the use of one of their buildings, and TMAC Wireless Solutions Ltd for providing the teams with GPS tracking systems.  



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