A group of dentists from Bolton have raised over £3,000 for some of the world’s poorest people by climbing the highest peak in Britain, Ben Nevis; it took six hours to reach the summit and the team were sponsored to raise funds for the Bridge2Aid charity, a Tanzania-based project that aims to make dental services available to people in some of the country’s poorest areas.
Dr Zuber Bagasi, of Lostock, came up with the idea and recruited the rest of his team from the various dental practices he owns in Bolton, Bury, Blackpool, Birmingham, and Paisley. Dr Bagasi and his colleagues Dr Imran Chaddat, Dr Ramki Ginagunta, and Dr Ai Ling Lim had no experience with climbing before undertaking the challenge but they worked with Bolton sports therapist Arshad Hazefi, an experienced mountaineer, who helped them prepare for the harsh conditions and accompanied them on the trek.
The weather gave the group some trouble as they scaled the peak but they stuck together and triumphed to reach the summit. Dr Bagasi was proud of the team and their accomplishment, telling local paper The Bolton News ‘As the conditions got below freezing towards the top, the challenge became even more difficult. We worked extremely well as a team and without that team spirit and motivation I am sure we wouldn’t have made it to the top.’