Company scales National Three Peaks in memory of beloved colleague
Staff at a Staffordshire-based power distribution company have climbed the UK’s highest mountains in memory of a much-loved colleague who died from a cancerous brain tumour.
IDE Systems, based in Cannock, has raised more than £7,700 for Brain Tumour Research through a gruelling Three Peaks Challenge, with a team of 17 climbers tackling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon over one intense 24-hour period.
The event was organised in tribute to Joanne Cross, who worked at the company for several years on the rental desk. Known for her warm smile and infectious energy, Joanne left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her. Sadly, she died in February 2024, following an 18-month battle with the disease.
Matt Collins, 45, Head of Power at IDE Systems, said: “Joanne was one of those people who could brighten any room. She was always smiling, no matter the time of day, and she genuinely cared about doing a great job for our customers. Losing her hit the whole team hard.
“Organising the Three Peaks Challenge felt like the right thing to do, not just to honour her memory, but to help fund the research needed to stop other families going through this.”
Joanne, a former nursery nurse, began experiencing severe headaches and short-term memory loss in September 2022. MRI scans at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham revealed a small mass in her head which later turned out to be a glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. Despite multiple surgeries, and receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Joanne died in February 2024, aged 46, 18-months after her diagnosis. She is survived by her son, Aidan, her husband, Damon, and stepson, Dylan, who were with her during her final days.
In her memory, 17 climbers, including colleagues, friends and family members, took part in the fundraising challenge, supported by two logistics team members and two coach drivers. The journey was marked by extreme weather, illness and a shared determination to complete it in Joanne’s name.
“We had thunder and lightning on Scafell Pike, baking heat on Ben Nevis, and driving rain and wind on Snowdon,” Matt said.
“One of our team even got food poisoning the night before we set off, but everyone kept going. It wasn’t just for the challenge, but because of the purpose behind it. Joanne would have been cheering us on every step of the way.”
The company has set a fundraising target of £10,000 with £7,700 raised so far, and donations still coming in. The team is already planning its next charity challenges, including a summer football match and a potential Yorkshire Three Peaks trek later this year.
Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age and around 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year. Yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
Matt said: “It’s heartbreaking how underfunded research in brain tumours is, especially when you look at how many people and families are affected. Joanne deserved better. We all want to be part of the change and make sure other families don’t have to go through what hers did. We’ll keep fundraising and pushing for better outcomes for all who are suffering from this disease.”
Carol Robertson, national events manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the whole IDE Systems team for turning their loss into action. The Three Peaks Challenge is no small feat, and their efforts will help us get closer to a cure. Joanne’s story reminds us why this research is so urgently needed.”
To support IDE Systems’ fundraising in memory of Joanne Cross, visit: justgiving.com/page/idesystems
