About Us

A Full Service Locksmith Since 1984

About US

Since 1999

Fred Whitton & The Challenge

The Challenge has been raising money for charity since it began in 1999, but who is Fred Whitton – and why is it named after him? Until his untimely death in 1998 at the age of 50, Fred Whitton was an extremely popular member of the Lakes Road Club. Not only was Fred the main instigator behind all the clubs’ activities, but he was also always there on the club runs and training weekends.

Living near all the big Lake District steep climbs, Fred would have known them all, so the year following his death we decided to cycle the route in his honour and use it as an opportunity to raise a bit of money for charity.

Twenty years later that ‘bit’ for charity has now surpassed the £2,000,000 mark!

In recent years the event has given MacMillan Nurses an average of just over £100,000 each year. Along with this, the event has shared the donation of £608,000 to the two Air Ambulances in Cumbria, The Mountain Rescue and Various youth Cycling projects.

We like to stop and think of Fred’s reaction to the event on the day and wonder what he would have made of it all!