Family of former sergeant conquers Snowdon in his memory
14 October 2022
The high-climbing fundraisers.
The daughter of a former West Midlands sergeant who died of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) says carrying a photo of her dad with her as she climbed Snowdon inspired her to keep going.
Laura Rollason conquered the 1,000 metre mountain on Saturday (8 October), the weekend that would have been her dad John Rollason’s 62nd birthday, just over a year after he died at the age of 60.
Laura was joined by her sister, Ann-Marie, along with Ann-Marie’s husband, police officer Dan Fox, and several others, raising more than £2,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).
“We carried a photo of Dad with us, so it was as if he was taking on the challenge by our sides. He was definitely there in spirit,” said 33-year-old Laura, who explained that the last challenge her dad took on before his diagnosis was climbing Snowdon.
“He was so proud of climbing Snowdon and he loved a challenge. That photo kept us going and helped us get through the more difficult parts. We got the photo out once we reached the top, I know he would have been very honoured that we had completed the climb in his memory.
“The money we have raised will make such a difference to the charity. I know times are hard for everyone at the moment, but we’ve had sponsors from more than 100 people, it’s been amazing.”
Their fundraising efforts came just over a year after father-of-two and grandfather-of-three John died in May 2021, having been diagnosed with the disease back in 2018.
Ann-Marie with a photo of her Dad.
John, known to many as ‘the Sheriff of Bartley Green’, joined West Midlands Police back in 1980, spending more than 30 years in the Force before retiring in 2011.
Laura added: “Dad was extremely proud to be a police officer. He joined when he was 19 and the police quickly became his family, the Force gave him a sense of belonging.”
As well as Dan, five other serving officers joined the team over the weekend, including John's former colleague, Stuart Parker, along with Libby Hewitt, Gemma Wilkinson, James Hurdidge and Harvey Woodford.
“We all made it to the top, together. It was emotional, but it was kind of happy emotions - we were all so proud of ourselves,” saidLaura.
“We knew we were doing it for dad, and he would have been so proud of us too.”
The team took around six hours to complete the challenge, before treating themselves to a much-deserved drink and toast to John on the way home.
Laura continued: “Mum stayed at home to look after my sister’s children but she said she cried most of the weekend. We sent a photo to her of us all at the top, and she was very emotional.
“MND is such an unknown disease, doing this is as much about raising money for charity, as it is about raising awareness of the condition.
“There’s no cure for MND, which makes it a very frustrating disease to understand, even for the professionals. And until you experience MND, or know about it, it’s hard to appreciate just how much the money we raise will mean.
“And Dad was so young when he died, it’s so important for us to keep his memory alive.”
MNDA is a charity which aims to improve care and research for those living with Motor Neurone Disease.
You can still donate to Laura and the team’s JustGiving page.
