Friends prepare to take on Three Peaks Challenge in memory of Stoke-on-Trent teenager

A group of friends are taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in memory of a Stoke-on-Trent teenager.

Sean Lewis, Matt Preston, Geoff Warren and Dale Teece – along with driver Andy Thompson – are preparing to scale the tallest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in just 24 hours.

They will be raising vital funds for Dougie Mac after the charity’s Children’s Services cared for Niamh Taylor, who died on February 8, 2026, aged just 14.

Niamh, a huge Stoke City fan, underwent major heart surgery at just one week old and spent the first ten months of her life at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Over the next few years, the brave youngster suffered two strokes and had various complex medical issues, including a condition called hypoplastic heart syndrome.

The challenge was the brainchild of Sean and Matt who are friends with Niamh’s dad, Jake. Sean said: “We have always been a close group of friends and have been in Niamh’s life since the beginning – we all went to her Christening at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Niamh faced more challenges than most of us ever will but through it all, she remained a happy, carefree girl who lived life to the fullest and brought so much joy to everyone around her.

“Around her 13^th birthday, her family received the heartbreaking news that she was in heart failure and, due to further complications, was not eligible for a transplant. Niamh spent the last six months of her life at Dougie Mac’s Children’s Services, where the care she and her family received was nothing short of incredible.

“The team there went above and beyond every single day – providing not just medical care, but comfort, compassion and a place filled with warmth and love. They made an unimaginably difficult time that little bit bearable, and for that, we will be forever grateful.

“We saw what Dougie Mac did for Niamh and the family and so we wanted to give something back and show our gratitude.”

The friends are planning to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland on June 10, followed by Scafell Pike in the Lake District and then Mount Snowdon, in Wales, climbing throughout the day and night. They have set themselves the fundraising target of £1,000.

They are also helping Niamh’s dad to create a Garden of Remembrance at his home in Tean with help from the local community, family and friends, as well as erecting a bench at Park Hall in memory of Niamh who liked to visit there.

To donate to the Three Peaks fundraiser, take a look here: Team fundraising for the Donna Louise Hospice in Honour of Niamh Taylor is fundraising for Douglas Macmillan Hospice