BOXERS in Christchurch have faced one of their toughest bouts to date - taking on three mountains for charity. 

A team of eight from CNC Christchurch Amateur Boxing Club tackled the infamous Three Peaks Challenge, with five of the members raising funds for Christchurch-based Autism Unlimited.

The Three Peaks entails climbing the highest mountains of Scotland, England, and Wales - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon – one after another, in under 24 hours.

The club's head coaches Joe Hayes and Jon Woods came up with the idea of supporting autistic people.

Jon said: “When Joe said he and some of the boys were doing the challenge I said why don’t you do it for autism?

“My son Bobby is autistic, so I know the barriers families like mine can face when looking for support, and how charities like Autism Unlimited step in to provide that support.

“Joe was very keen because he was passionate about making sure the money they raised went to a local charity.”

Joe added: “As a club we have also become more aware of Autism Unlimited since it opened its Sixth Form building in Airfield Road, near where we are based in Groveley Road.

"They do some truly amazing work with their students, and we really wanted to raise some money to support that.”

The team started the challenge at 6am on Saturday, September 28, and finished at 5.30am the following day – 35 minutes before the 24-hour deadline.

Joe joked: “When we got home it took me 10 minutes just to get out of the car. But when we realised we had raised over £3k – considerably over our £500 target, it made it all the pain worthwhile.”

Autism Unlimited is based in Christchurch and supports autistic children and young people with bespoke education, independent living skills, advice, and guidance.

Carol Borwick, fundraising manager at Autism Unlimited, said: “We are in awe of the team’s support for us and the strength and determination they showed to complete such a gruelling challenge.

"Monies raised by fundraisers undertaking events such as Three Peaks Challenge, marathons or skydives help to provide additional facilities and sensory equipment for the young people we support.

“Some of our students and staff are now hoping to visit the boxing club and cannot wait to hear more about the team’s amazing adventure.”