Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have always used the expression "climbing a mountain" metaphorically and I never thought that I would literally climb a mountain - and a bloody big one at that!

On 4 October 2010 I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for a charity called Norwood. Norwood helps both adults and children who suffer from severe learning difficulties. My firm, Reed Smith LLP, does a lot of pro bono work for them. The opportunity came up and I thought "why not - it's for a great cause and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". I certainly have the element of craziness that is needed for this (stage one passed - phew!).

I will gratuitously add at this point that Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest freestanding mountain in the world standing at 15,100ft. I am 5ft8. So to put it into perspective, it is a lot bigger than me (2603.448 times the size of me to be precise) and I have to get up it and down it all in one piece and try not to lose a boot along the way. Just to add insult to injury, the mountain has three volcanic cones one of which is dormant. This means that as well as climbing the mountain, I potentially have to dodge a bit of lava if that particular cone decides to wake from its slumber. That "side-step" I learnt during netball practice at school may just come in handy.

So here's the deal, I need to raise 3,500 squids. I need 3,500 people to donate £1.00 each or 1,750 to donate £2.00 each or 875 to donate £4.00 each etc. It sounds easy, but I definitely don't know 3,500 or even 875 people. Ergo I need as much help and generosity as possible (I also need as much encouragement and tips as possible).

I feel bad saying "please give me some money so that I can experience this amazing opporunity", but remember you are not actually giving me the money, but Norwood and by doing so you are helping a lot of people and families who are affected by severe learning difficulties. You will be helping to improve someone's quality of life and helping them achieve their goals - something that we take for granted every day. I've paid all my own travel costs so every penny that you donate will go straight to the Charity.

Donating through JustGiving is 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 the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now. Thanks!

Charlie x