Colin Stevenson, yard supervisor at Russell Roof Tiles, suffered a major stroke in September 2019 after having part of his lung surgically removed, which made breathing and exercise a difficult task.

At the beginning of May, just two years after his major operation, Mr Stevenson set himself the challenge of reaching the top of Criffel, a local hill which has a 506-meter ascent, after his employer announced it would match fund team challenges.

With the support of his family and daughter Karen Stevenson, who volunteered to join him on the challenge, they managed to reach the top in three-and-a-half hours, before making the long and tiring descent back to ground level.

Mr Stevenson explained: “In 2019 my life completely changed, after having a small section of my lung removed, and then suffering from a stroke, I never thought I’d be able to walk up the Criffel. Thanks to the Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust a charity based in my hometown, I was able to start walking around the Loch and building my strength up little by little.

“This year, I wanted to take on something that would be a huge challenge and raise money for the charity that helped me get my life back. The climb wasn’t an easy one, but I got there. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my friends, family and colleagues.”

Mr Stevenson has chosen to donate the £1,400 raised to the Castle Loch Community Trust, to ensure that the conservation of the area is maintained and that people within the community can continue to walk around the Loch. The charity looks after the environment through community volunteer initiatives.

The team at Russell Roof Tiles were in full support of Mr Stevenson and admire his bravery for taking on such a hard challenge.

Bruce Laidlaw, operations director, said: “Colin is an inspiration to us all. He’s undeterred by his health condition and the 506-meter ascent. He’s the first person this year at Russell Roof Tiles, to have taken on an extreme challenge on his own.

“He’s set the bar high and raised a significant amount for the Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust. A charity close to Colin and Russell Roof Tiles. From me and the rest of the team, you’ve done us all proud.”

Russell Roof Tiles is an independent manufacturer of concrete derivatives for pitched roofing and employs around 60 staff in Lochmaben, plus an additional two sites in Burton-on-Trent.