My logic was simple - I haven't done anything different in ages and it felt like a good cause. One of the parents at school asked my wife if it would be OK for me to go, and fortunately with Kate saying 'yes', I got a 'pass out' and I signed up quickly!
So in December 2010, I will be joining a team of 20 to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At 5892m, KIlimanjaro is one of the highest peaks in the world and whilst I initially thought it didn't look 'too hard', I know it will be a significant physical and mental challenge!
The team objective is to raise over £50,000 for Afrikids. Afrikids are an extraordinary, entrepreneurial charity that supports sustainable, commercially viable projects in rural northern Ghana, helping people there to change their lives, and those of their families and communities. Importantly, if you do contribute, you can be assured that every penny you give will go immediately into Afrikids' award-winning projects, led by a local team who have the insight and experience to really make it count "on the ground".
The last time I was involved in some 'big expedition' was when I was at university! For me, this is a great opportunity to do something for people less fortunate than ourselves. My first challenge is to raise my contribution for Afrikids. Next, it will be to get to to the top as knowing people are supporting me to get there means a lot. The money we raise will enable a lot of young people in Africia to have new opportunities to progress and hopefully realise their dreams too.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. You can donate through my JustGiving page. It's simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to Afrikids and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.
Any support you can offer is much appreciated. Thank you.
October 2010: And just to say a big thank you for everyone who supported our fund raising curry lunch. Held at the Spice Club, Melton Mowbray, the result was amazing with over £2600 raised in total!
December 2010: And we did it! All 18 climbers reached Stella Point and 12 of us made Uhuru Peak. And that was inspite of poor weather conditions. It either rained or snowed daily; we saw hail in the rain forest and summiting took 2-3 hours longer than it should due to a snow storm! But its been an experience of a life time and a great challenge
More importantly, our objective to raise £50,000 for Afrikids has been reached, though we remain keen to raise more ( in December, we had raised around £65,000). So any further donations are very much welcomed!
