Wesleyan Sponsors Everest Challenge

Wesleyan Assurance Society, the financial services specialists for doctors, dentists, lawyers and teachers has announced that it will act as main sponsor of Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ attempt to climb Everest.

Sir Ranulph will make the ascent with medic and high-altitude camera man Dr Rob Casserley and veteran mountaineer Kenton Cool as guide. The climb is in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care. The team have just arrived in Nepal and will start the push for the summit on 10 May, weather conditions permitting.

Callum Girvan, Wesleyan’s Marketing Director said, “Dr Rob Casserley made the initial contact with Wesleyan because he knew of our strong links with the medical profession through Wesleyan Medical Sickness. We were immediately keen to be involved at some level. Once we realised the ascent is in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care, also our staff Charity of the Year, we decided to go the whole way and become main sponsor.

“It’s an amazing challenge and we wish the team every success. We will be following their progress and supporting them all the way.”

Rob Casserley, a doctor in acute medicine has successfully scaled Everest four times previously. His interest in climbing began during his elective as a medical student when as part of his training he spent time in Bolivia and Peru.

Rob said, “The team is really pleased to have the support of Wesleyan Assurance Society. I attended a talk by a Wesleyan Medical Sickness financial consultant recently and from what I heard felt that their values were consistent with sponsoring a project like this. Climbing Everest is always a tough challenge – it’s a long way up and a very long way down but the main thing to remember is it’s a return journey.”

Mount Everest is Sir Ranulph’s ultimate challenge and if successful he will be the first man ever to cross both ice caps via both poles and to scale the world’s highest mountain. Sir Ranulph attempted the world’s highest peak in 2005 but experienced serious heart problems just 300 metres from the summit and was forced to turn back.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ Everest Challenge website allows people to follow the team’s progress and make donations online.

Visit: www.everestchallenge.org.uk

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For more information and interviews please contact:
Bernadette Bogan or Navdeep Bhatti 0121 200 9609
Wesleyan Press Office press@wesleyan.co.uk

Sophie Hull or Charlotte Kettle 0207 404 9660
Vanbrugh Communications

Photo Caption: Dr Rob Casserley (Left), Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE (Centre) and Kenton Cool (Right) at the Press Conference.

Notes to Editors:

Sir Ranulph hopes to raise £3m for Marie Curie Cancer Care to support their Delivering Choice Programme which aims to provide the best possible services for palliative care to give terminally ill people the choice over where they are cared for and die. The programme works in partnership with the NHS, social services and voluntary sector to ensure specific palliative needs of local communities are addressed.

Wesleyan Assurance Society, founded in 1841, is a mutual organisation. Its core values are Insight, Performance and Trust. 

Wesleyan offers specialist financial advice to hospital doctors, GPs, dentists, teachers and lawyers, through its principal distribution brands Wesleyan Medical Sickness, Wesleyan for Teachers and Wesleyan for Lawyers.

In 2007 Wesleyan Assurance Society won the ifs Financial Innovation Awards 2007 for Most Effective Customer Segmentation Strategy.

Wesleyan is one of the UK’s financially strongest mutuals, receiving a ten-out-of- ten rating for four consecutive years in the Cazalet Consulting survey of With Profits offices.