Leading third-party hotel management company, Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA, has revealed it has already raised £10,800 as part of a fundraising drive for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The company – a division of global hospitality management leader Aimbridge Hospitality – joined forces with Macmillan earlier this year to embark on a 24-month campaign to raise as much money as possible for the much-loved cancer charity.

And in just over five months since the partnership was announced, staff from hotels across Aimbridge’s EMEA UK portfolio and the central team have already been busy undertaking a number of fundraising events raising more than £10,000 in the process.

Activities so far have included hosting a number of Macmillan coffee mornings, a team taking part in the Kiltwalk in Edinburgh and dare-devil sky dives undertaken by Aimbridge colleagues James Fuji, Daniel Kemp, Daniel Merriman, Miah McNeil and Emma McGuire.

In addition, Stephanie Pinto, Liz Dixon and Rachel Jones from the Aimbridge corporate team took things to the next level by travelling to Jordan to embark on the Wadi Rum Trek and visit to Petra. The trek covered nearly 50 miles over five days and included two nights in Bedouin campsites and three nights wild camping. The immense challenge saw them walking on sand, scrambling over rocky and steep terrain and using ropes at times but raising an amazing total of £2,887.

Stephanie Pinto said: “The trek was inspiring, thought provoking and challenging. Jordan is a wonderful country with generous people. The build-up was challenging, as was the final decision to travel, due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, but were so glad we went.

“Throughout we were very well supported by Exodus and our local guides. But the main challenges were the 32 degrees heat and the scramble to Burdah Rock Bridge! Wild camping, with zero facilities was also interesting but at the same time it was liberating and we supported one another throughout. Tourism has dropped by 80 percent recently and for Jordan tourism is their second highest industry, so the impact is massive.

“The Wadi Rum Valley, Burdah Rock Bridge and Petra is just stunning and camping under the stars was incredible. We had such a sense of achievement!

“To raise so much money for Macmillan meant such a lot to us all and, was a key reason for us wanting to go. My daughter is a breast cancer specialist nurse, so MacMillan and the work they do is really important personally. Aimbridge is proud to be supporting this incredible charity and Liz, Rachel and I are thrilled to have been part of that.”

Louise De Freitas, chair of Aimbridge EMEA’s staff Empower committee and a finance leader for the company, said: “We have been blown away by the support our colleagues have given to raise as much money as possible for Macmillan and just want to say a massive thank you to them. The type of events some have taken part in are definitely not for the faint hearted and they really have gone above and beyond! To have raised nearly £11,000 in just five months is incredible and we are determined to raise as much as possible over the full two year period so watch this space!”