FIVE friends hit the heights to help an Aberdour charity ease the discomfort and stress of hospital patients.

Steven Coutts and Patrick Wallace, who are trustees of the Cookie Jar Foundation, and pals Dan Leigh, Jamie Stewart and Andy Brown completed the Three Peaks Challenge.

That took them up the highest mountains - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon - in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, with the cash raised going towards a vein finder for the A&E department at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

Steven said: “Spending money where it is raised has always been of the utmost importance to all of us within the charity.

Dunfermline Press: Charge nurse Sandra Kyle demonstrates how the vein finder works. With Cookie Jar Foundation fundraisers Steven Coutts, Andy Brown and Scott Young.Charge nurse Sandra Kyle demonstrates how the vein finder works. With Cookie Jar Foundation fundraisers Steven Coutts, Andy Brown and Scott Young. (Image: David Wardle)

"All of us have roots in Fife and to have a couple of the guys along who helped us raise the money for what is our 28th vein finder and to be able to show them the difference their hard work will make is really something special to us.

"As we go into 2024 we have some amazing challenges lined up in order to help us support future community-based projects."

READ MORE: Dunfermline business fund vein finder through Cookie Jar Foundation

The Cookie Jar Foundation was set up in memory of Steven's brother, Christopher ‘Cookie’ Coutts, from Aberdour, who passed away at the age of 19 in 2013 after a two-year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Dunfermline Press: Christopher 'Cookie' Coutts, who died aged 19 after a two-year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.Christopher 'Cookie' Coutts, who died aged 19 after a two-year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. (Image: The Coutts family)

During his treatment he found IV treatments particularly harrowing due to the damage caused to his veins by chemotherapy.

Christopher discovered the vein finder during a visit to the Christie centre in Manchester and vowed to raise funds to place these devices into local hospitals so that others wouldn’t have to suffer the stress that he did.

This has become his legacy and his family have placed 28 of these devices into wards throughout Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

Dunfermline Press: Steven, Andy and two of their pals, Scott Young and Craig Devoy, also took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk last September.Steven, Andy and two of their pals, Scott Young and Craig Devoy, also took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk last September. (Image: Steven Coutts)

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The climb every mountain crew were assisted in the Three Peaks Challenge by driver Chris Beal.

Steven, Andy, Scott Young and another friend, Craig Devoy, also took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk last September which helped towards the total needed for the Vic's new veinfinder.

The foundation was launched 10 years ago, in 2014, and the main aim is to provide support to those in need of help, whether it be in hospital, educational or community-based environment.

They also want to help young people who have additional support needs, who often receive a lack of support from the educational system due to inadequate budgets, to achieve to the best of their abilities.

Another project focuses on raising money for Cookies Little Bugs sanctuary gardens, working with local schools to make it easier for children to learn in an outdoor setting.