AIMING FOR THE TOP

Everest, the ultimate challenge that awaits BiKBBI, CEO, Damian Walters

Chief Executive Officer of the BiKBBI, Damian Walters, is literally putting his life on the line to raise money for the institute’s chosen charity for 2016/17. Damian intends to scale Mount Everest and in doing so aims to raise over £100,000 for The Furniture Makers Company’s, The Furniture industry’s charity!

It’s not Damian’s first attempt at attempting this treacherous climb, he almost reached the summit back in 2010 but was forced to abandon the climb at 27,500ft due to severe altitude sickness. To put into perspective just how close he came to achieving the ultimate climb, he was only 1,500ft from the summit!

Damian’s second attempt begins in April when he travels from London to Kathmandu, Nepal. The next leg will see the expedition drive into the Himalayas, crossing the border into Tibet, before arriving at Base Camp in the north around a week later at an altitude of 17,000ft. He’ll then spend three to four weeks acclimatising to the high altitude by tackling local peaks before the climb up the infamous north face of the world’s highest mountain.

Damian says: “The majority of expeditions to Everest last about 64 days but there are only a few days dedicated to the summit push, the rest of the time is spent preparing physically and mentally.”

“The majority of expeditions to Everest last about 64 days but there are only a few days dedicated to the summit push, the rest of the time is spent preparing physically and mentally.”

Before reaching Everest’s summit of 29,029ft above sea level, the cruising altitude of a Boeing 747, Damian will have to overcome many dangers, including The north Col, then onto the perilous ‘death zone’ at 26,000ft. While in the death zone, Damian will face high winds, treacherous ledges, and an extreme risk of frostbite. Low atmospheric pressure restricts the body’s oxygen intake by two-thirds which is the main obstacle that climbers face.

The BiKBBI recently announced its support for The Furniture Makers Company as a Corporate Member, joining brands including BiKBBI Installation Partners B&Q and John Lewis, as well as sponsors Blum.

Formed as a guild in 1952, established as a livery company of the City of London in 1963, and granted a Royal Charter in 2013, the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers strategically supports three key areas within the furniture industry namely; Education, Excellence and Assistance.

The Company is also proud to support our armed forces by being affiliated with 2nd Battalion The Rifles. Their historical ties with the forces date back to 1989 when the Bond of Association was made between the Company and The Royal Green Jackets, who in 2007 became a part of the new regiment – The Rifles.

Damian Walters says; “We have been supporting the charity with several initiatives for some time and so we were pleased to make the Company our official charity moving forward.” He added, “The Furniture Makers Company’s core pillars are not too dissimilar to those of the Institute. Its commitments to education, especially with their tireless efforts working on educational programmes for schoolchildren and students, as well as their sterling work on recognising quality standards complement those of the BiKBBI."

The BiKBBI and The Furniture Makers Company are currently working together, along with other key parties, to develop a nationally available apprenticeship for kitchen, bedroom and bathroom installation and Continued Personal Development opportunities for timeserved installers.

For more information on how you can get involved with The Furniture Makers Company or how you can sponsor Damian’s climb contact:

www.justgiving.com/ DamianClimbsEverest Email: fundraiser@furnituremakers.org.uk

THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH EVEREST

FEATURING DAMIAN WALTERS

★★★★★ GRIPPING! - The Installer Magazine