Representatives of some of the nation’s largest and best-known housebuilders and construction companies braved all weather conditions in the Yorkshire Dales on Friday 12 September 2025 to raise nearly £100,000 for Youth Adventure Trust.
200 participants from 38 teams took on the Housebuilder Challenge, walking 20 miles over two of the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks through the spectacular scenery around Ingleton, near Kendal which is famous for its waterfalls, caves and steep terrain. The winning team, from Kaboodle (the largest independent supplier and installer of whitegoods for housebuilders and developers in the UK), managed to finish the course in an incredible five hours, 19 minutes and 20 seconds, despite what proved to be extremely challenging weather for the time of year.
Among companies undertaking the Housebuilder Challenge were Bellway, Barratt Redrow, Dandara, Bloor Homes, David Wilson Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Keepmoat and Vistry – plus an all-female team from Building Relations PR. All of the groups dug deep, putting on their hiking boots and braving the rain to raise money to help Youth Adventure Trust in its mission to use outdoor adventure and activities, alongside one-to-one support, to empower vulnerable young people aged 11-16.
The team from Kaboodle comprised Adam Morris, Matthew Pitt, Antony Pitcock, and Sacha Harding, who ran as well as walked the course to ensure their place at the top of the leaderboard, raising £3,205 in the process.
Matthew Pitt, Managing Director at Kaboodle, comments:
“The Housebuilder Challenge is a phenomenal event that turns a tough challenge into a genuinely enjoyable day, with a real sense of support and community across all teams. When you’re facing a steep climb or the weather closes in, it truly feels like we’re all in it together, pushing through for a shared cause. We are incredibly proud to support the Youth Adventure Trust – the work they do to help disadvantaged young people build resilience and create a better start in life is remarkable and makes a huge difference to so many people. I would highly recommend getting involved in next year’s challenge to fundraise for an incredible cause.”
Also at the top of the leaderboard, this time for the amount of money raised, was Denbury Homes, which fielded two teams – the Denbury Dashers and the Denbury Dawdlers. The Denbury Dashers: Nick Holmes, Jason Catling, Jasmine Travers, Thomas Farrant and Austin Witter, raised £7,836 between them, the highest amount for a single team. Meanwhile, the award for the most resilient team went to the Ladies of Bellway, whose home county of Essex, notoriously flat, gave them little chance to practice!
Nick Holmes, Operations Director at Denbury Homes, adds:
“Taking part in the Housebuilder Challenge was both tough and immensely rewarding. Every step was worthwhile, knowing we were contributing to such a worthwhile cause. The Denbury Dashers raised an incredible £7,836 and the Denbury Dawdlers raised an impressive £3,166 bringing the Denbury total to just over £11,000! We are deeply grateful to all our sponsors whose generous support made this possible.”
CEO of Youth Adventure Trust, Mark Davey, praised the contribution of all the teams, saying:
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in this year’s Housebuilder Challenge. Taking on two of the Yorkshire Peaks in rain, wind and hail was no easy task, and it really called for determination, teamwork and resilience. The 38 teams showed all of that in abundance, and thanks to their efforts more vulnerable young people will now have the chance to build better futures.”
In total, the Housebuilder Challenge 2025, sponsored by Taylor Wimpey and TriConnex, with assistance from Vale Mapping, raised £95,712 in valuable funds for the charity, the equivalent of 175 vulnerable young people attending the organisation’s six-day residential “Mountain” camp where they take part in activities such as canoeing, caving, gorge walking and climbing, building confidence and resilience.
The event, which began in 2018 as Housebuilders’ Mountain Marathon, is now into its seventh year, and a firm fixture in the industry calendar. If you are in the construction or housebuilding industries and fancy dusting off your boots to get ready for next year’s event – when hopefully the sun will be shining – contact Corporate Partnerships Manager Philippa Cox at philippa(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)youthadventuretrust.org.uk to register your interest.