TWO Peebles High School pupils are leading the charge to raise much needed funds for their local reading initiative.

Senior students Cameron O’Raw and Craig McFadyen are set to undertake the Three Peaks Challenge next week to raise money for Tweed Reads.

The community-based organisation, which has a regular column in the Peeblesshire News promotes reading for enjoyment in Tweeddale, and aids local youngsters by boosting wellbeing and improving their future life chances.

Cameron and Craig feel passionately about the project and want others in the local community to feel the benefits of reading for enjoyment.

The boys will attempt to climb the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales, all in less than 24 hours.

Climbing Ben Nevis in Fort William, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park, the youngsters will walk a total distance of 23 miles, ascending more than 10,000 feet in the process.

As well as improving literacy levels, it has also been proven that reading for enjoyment is more important to children’s academic success than their parental incomes or level of education.

Posting on the fundraiser’s JustGiving page, Craig said: “We have chosen to do this voluntarily as the funds will be used to support community ventures which encourage and support people in Tweeddale to read more and read more often.”

He added: “The group is led by senior pupils at PHS who feel passionately about the project and want others in the local community to feel the benefits of reading for enjoyment.”

So far, £110 has been raised of their £1,000 target. Money can be donated online on the group’s JustGiving page, at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tweedreads