On 6th June 2019 at Freemasons Hall W Bro Marc Cooper, the Worshipful Master of Zetland Lodge No 511, presented the Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward, W Bro Tony Shields, PGStB with a cheque for £8,000 as a donation towards the Metropolitan Grand Master’s London Fire Brigade Appeal on behalf of the lodge members.

This generous donation had been raised by a five-man team of Zetland Lodge members – Bros George Hardy (26), Grant White (31) and Rob McLean (55) and W Bros Marc Cooper (30) and Graham Cooper (62) – who successfully completed the gruelling National Three Peaks Challenge.

The National Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales: Ben Nevis in Scotland; Scafell Pike in England; Snowdon in Wales. The total walking distance is 23 miles (37km) and the total ascent is 3064 metres (10,052ft).

Worshipful Master Marc Cooper explained that planning the route and having the right equipment was key to the team’s success in completing the challenge. “Most of the team were under 30 and had good fitness levels. The task was climbing up and down 3 mountain ranges in 24 hours. The distance we covered is about the same as the London Marathon. As part of our preparation we trained hard in the gym in the evenings after work. We also went on long walks along the coast and local nature trails, training and preparing over a period of approximately 5 months”. Marc’s father W Bro Graham Cooper, LGR was team manager and organised the logistics including accommodation, van hire and route planning.

Accepting the cheque for £8,000 on behalf of the appeal W Bro Tony Shields commented: “This is a tremendous effort, a small Lodge and such a large amount raised. I’d like to thank Zetland Lodge, particularly the members of the Three Peaks Challenge for what was a gruelling task”.
The Metropolitan Grand Master’s London Fire Brigade Appeal, to raise £2,500,000 for the purchase of two super high-rise rescue aerial platforms, was launched by Sir Michael Snyder in November 2017.