TWELVE SMT GB employees will embark on a team-building day with a difference in Perthshire to raise money for an armed forces charity.
The team is currently training for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity’s Cateran Yomp, which challenges teams of soldiers, veterans and civilians to walk 22, 36 or 54 miles across the rugged terrain of the Perthshire countryside in less than 24 hours.
Participants will head off on the Cateran Trail in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains at 6am on Saturday 3rd June, returning to Blairgowrie in the early hours of the following morning. Last year’s event raised just over £500,000 for soldiers, veterans and their families, featuring 630 participants who had travelled from as far afield as America, Canada, Australia, Cyprus, Poland and the Netherlands.
SMT GB, the dealer of Volvo Construction Equipment and K-Tec earthmover products in Britain, will be sending a team representing a cross-section of the company’s workforce, with job roles consisting of engineering, marketing, sales and support office staff. They are spread across almost all of SMT GB’s nine customer support centres.
Leading the team is Duxford-based health and safety manager Anthony McCann, who served with the Royal Artillery for almost 30 years, and whose three sons are still currently serving. He said, “I have been eager to take part in The Cateran Yomp for some time, really just to challenge myself while raising money for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. When I was serving, we held many fundraising events for the charity.
“As well as my own sons, a few of the team members also have military backgrounds so, knowing the valuable work ABF do, we are all determined to do our bit to support them. The Yomp will also be a fantastic networking opportunity and away-day, as some of us have yet to meet face-to-face. For me, at the age of 55, it’s not going to be easy, but it wouldn’t be a challenge if it were!”
SMT GB CEO Nick Allen added, “We are thrilled to have such a large team supporting ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. At SMT GB, a sizeable number of our staff members are former service personnel, and we feel that it is important for us to do our part and give something back. By taking part in the Cateran Yomp, the team is embodying SMT GB’s company values of caring, daring and sharing, while also working to support an incredibly worthy charity.”
Since 1944, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has provided practical and financial assistance to soldiers, veterans and their families across the UK. During the financial year 21/22, the charity supported 65,000 people in 48 countries worldwide. Since its launch, the Cateran Yomp has raised over £4 million, with donations funding the likes of wheelchair ramps, respite care and personal recovery plans for injured soldiers.
