Ikonic staff brave hot coals to raise over £25,000 for Duchenne UK

The fire walk

Staff members from a Heywood technology distributor have raised over £25,000 for Duchenne UK after completing a fire walk on 20 October.

Taking place at the Parkfield Inn in Whitefield, the team of 20 Ikonic staff were cheered on by a large crowd as they walked over 15ft of hot coals burning at a temperature of over 500°C. Such was the dedication of the team they all went back around and did the fire walk a second time, much to the crowd’s delight.

The team has raised £25,254.78 for the charity, which aims to end the devastating impact of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive condition diagnosed in childhood. It causes all the muscles in the body to gradually weaken and almost always affects boys. It is typically diagnosed in childhood between the age of three and six.

Duchenne UK is deeply personal to Ikonic, as sales director Tony Levene’s son, Joey, has the condition. He is one of 2,500 people living with the condition in the UK.

Many of the long-serving staff at Ikonic know Joey and have seen him grow and develop, so they are always keen to raise funds for the charity.

Tony explained: “In the past we have done runs, tough mudders and various other challenges for Duchenne UK, but this year we decided that we really wanted to up the ante and go big for Duchenne.

“I can't believe Joey is now blessed to have reached the age of 17. It's been almost 16 years since Joey was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

“I never in my wildest dreams, thought Joey would still be walking at 17, though assisted at times with his wheelchair. The doctors tell us he is one of the ‘lucky ones’ as the condition hasn’t robbed him of all his abilities yet. Time though isn’t our friend; Duchenne is 100% fatal.”

The Ikonic team is already planning their next event to raise funds for Duchenne UK, but for now they are soaking their feet in water and looking back at a job well done.