2:56 pm, March 8, 2018
COX Automotive was marking International Women’s Day today by attending a Women With Drive event where the guests of honour were 10 women from the company who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
The team of mountaineers, pictured on Kilimanjaro, were joining around 90 other attendees at the pro-gender equality event at Kelham Hall in Nottinghamshire, speaking on stage about their achievement.
The group of women from Cox Automotive started the six-day trek on February 26, crossing various terrains to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest mountain – a 19,341ft-high dormant volcano in Tanzania – raising £20,000 for disabled children’s charity Wooden Spoon in the process.
Alison Fisher, HR director at Cox Automotive, said: ‘We set up the Kilimanjaro challenge as part of Women With Drive’s ambition to showcase female achievements and inspire women to reach their goals, so I will be incredibly proud to welcome our 10 triumphant climbers on to the stage.
‘Women With Drive goes from strength to strength, and we are passionate about ensuring that there is equality in our industry. International Women’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate how far we’ve come and pledge to continue to promote the advantages of a diverse workforce across our industry.’
Aneliese Platts, graphic designer at Cox Automotive and part of the Kilimanjaro team, said: ‘As we climbed higher, weather conditions worsened, and we pushed to the summit through heavy snow and extreme cold.
‘The final climb was the toughest challenge I’ve ever had to face – even the guides were telling us that these were the worst weather conditions they’d seen in years.
‘I know that every single member of the team had to push themselves harder than ever before, and there is absolutely no way I would have reached the top without the support of my fellow climbers.
‘We set out to climb the mountain as a celebration of what women can do if they reach for their goals, and I hope we’ve achieved that.’
MORE: All-woman team from Cox Automotive preparing for Kilimanjaro climb
MORE: Major changes to the Cox Automotive leadership team
MORE: Cox Automotive says 2017 was a ‘hugely positive year’
On Workshop Magazine: Pothole-related call-outs up 110 per cent following ‘Beast from the East’, says RAC
