A GROUP of friends will travel from Essex to the summit of Mount Snowdon and back in one day to raise money for a military charity.

Tom Hughes and Tom Eddie, both 19, Andrew Player, 23, and Sam Pickard, 24, work together in a call centre for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Thanet Grange, Westcliff, and have so far raised more than £4,000 for the Aaron Lewis Foundation from the Snowdon Challenge.

The foundation was set up by the family and friends of Lt Aaron Lewis, 26, from Rochford, who was killed in December 2008 while serving with the 29 Commando Regiment in Afghanistan.

Mr Hughes, from Rochford, said: “We wanted to raise money for a local charity and it turns out Tom’s brothers were in the same regiment as Aaron, although we didn’t find that out until after we’d chosen it.

“Me and Tom want to join the military, and everyone else has close ties with the military so that’s why we chose the foundation.”

The group plan to drive to Snowdonia, in Wales, reach the summit of Mount Snowdon, climb back down, and return to Essex the same day.

The group will fly a special Aaron Lewis Foundation flag when they reach the summit of the mountain, which is the highest mountain in the UK outside of Scotland.

Mr Hughes added: “We were originally going to do the three peaks, but with the time we have it was difficult to arrange.

“Climbing Mount Snowdon is quite difficult in February so that’s why we went in for the challenge of doing it in a day – at the summit it’s minus 15 degrees and there’s 60mph winds. We’re all pretty hyped up – we can’t wait.”

To sponsor the team, visit www.justgiving.com/Snowdon AaronLewis.