A YOUNG Sea Cadet from Whitehaven has raised over £1,000 for his local unit by completing an epic challenge to scale England’s tallest peak.

12 year old Craig Palmer climbed up to the summit of Scafell Pike, which stands at 978m above sea level, in order to help Whitehaven Sea Cadets raise funds towards a new facility.

After setting himself an initial target of £200, Craig set about seeking sponsorship from friends and family before setting up an online page to widen the appeal.

In less than 2 weeks, he had raised a staggering £1,000.

Craig said, "I wanted to help my sea cadet unit raise money to find a new home so decided to do a sponsored walk.

I found the walk very hard but I enjoyed the challenge of it knowing that it was helping raise money for such a good cause.

"I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me."

Since losing their unit on Old New Quay in 2013, they have been working hard to raise the funds needed for a new facility for the cadets.

P.O. (SCC) Stuart McCourt, Commanding Officer at Whitehaven Sea Cadets added: “All of us at the unit are really proud of Craig, he has shown real determination to complete such an ambitious challenge.

"Thank you so much to all those who have supported him, every penny raised moves us even closer to our ambition of having our own facility once again”.

Craig’s fundraising page is still open for anyone who would like to contribute and can be found here https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/17687