Wrexham finance firm boss in Montenegro mountain challenge

A WREXHAM finance firm director is donning his walking boots to take part in a marathon charity trek in the mountains of Montenegro.

Medwyn Edwards, Joint Founding Director of Hadlow Edwards Wealth Management, has signed up for the three-day, three-peak, 40-mile coastal challenge along the Dinaric Alps in Montenegro.

It will be his second trip to one of the world’s smallest countries which borders Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. Well known for its spectacular coastline, half of Montenegro is covered in thick forest which is home to wolves, bears, lynxes and wildcats.

His aim is to raise around £4,000 for the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the FTSE 100 Company St. James’s Place which is one of the UK’s largest wealth management organisations and looks after client funds in excess of £96 bn.

Medwyn set up his firm with fellow founding director Warren Hadlow in 2000 and last year, they expanded into the former Wrexham Lager building in the heart of the town which is now home to their 25-strong team.

It is an Appointed Representative of St. James’s Place Wealth Management and Medwyn has taken part in charity challenges they have organised before including treks through the Picos De Europa in Northern Spain, the Julian Alps in Slovenia and Mount Olympus in Greece.

Events and challenges are held every year to help raise money for the Charitable Foundation set up in 1992 to award grants to charities registered in the UK, with more than £80 million raised to date.

Causes supported include Support Dogs, a national charity which trains and supports dogs to help people with a range of disabilities including autism and epilepsy, AfriKids which is London-based charity which works to improve the lives of Ghana’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and Worldwide Volunteering which helps disadvantaged young people through volunteering opportunities.

Medwyn, 57, a father-of-two who lives in Wrexham and is originally from Anglesey, said: “I am looking forward to challenging myself and getting up into the mountains which is something I have always enjoyed.

“Many of the people I was with on the last few treks will be going again and you start to become a good team so I am looking forward to that aspect of it too.

“I have set quite a high goal in terms of the fundraising but friends, family and colleagues have always been very generous and the causes their money goes towards are really worthy.

“At Hadlow Edwards, to support charities and this is very important to us so for me this is a great way to combine something I enjoy doing and raising money for important causes at the same time.”

Medwyn’s mountainous Montenegro trek will take him, at its highest point, to more than 12,000 ft with one of the main highlights of the trip being the chance to ascend the Ladder of Cattero.

The hiking route follows an old horse trail with more than 70 U-turns as the walkers make their way up the steep mountainside.

To sponsor Medwyn, go to  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/robert-medwyn-edwards2