A DETERMINED team of students is aiming high by attempting to raise £10,000 by scaling Britain’s highest mountain.

The 26 year 11 students from Red House School in Norton will tackle the 1,244-metre Ben Nevis on July 4 and have increased their fundraising target from £7,750 to £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

They have already raised more than £5,500 in sponsorship and Thomas Copeland, student head of charity, is confident they can raise a record amount under the Red House charity scheme.

He said: “We initially set an individual target of £250 but as more sponsorship money came in, people raised their individual targets – I moved mine up to £1,500 and it’s gone past that.

“I had always hoped we would reach £10,000 and at the moment it is looking very possible; now that we have all finished our GCSEs we can concentrate more on fundraising.”

Thomas, 16, of Wynyard, said that if the team can achieve their target, it will exceed the money raised for charity by Red House students throughout the whole of the previous academic year.

He added: “It is going to be a huge amount; I hope we can do it.”

Reaching the summit should not be a problem for experienced climber Thomas but some students have taken advantage of the heights offered by local landmarks such as Roseberry Topping to help them prepare.

Award-winning Middlesbrough-based company CorDEX Instruments Limited is underwriting the excursion, meaning that all money raised by the pupils will go directly to Macmillan.

Thomas also received advice from expedition company Rare Adventures Limited and he thanked Red House teacher Dan Kitching for his support in organising the event.

To sponsor the group, visit justgiving.com/teams/RHS-BenNevis-Macmillan-Climb