It started with a shed.

Actually, it really started with a pizza. Or rather, lack of pizza. Or cheesecake. Or, in fact, anything dairy.

Why? Well, it was September last year and I had just found out that I was lactose intolerant. By cutting out all dairy foods I inevitably started losing weight. Pounds of it.

This coincided with the launch of an informal Willingham walking group – and thanks should go to Guy Beauchamp for starting this. Having spent all of my life hating (with a deep passion) all forms of physical exercise I found that the more weight I lost the more I enjoyed these weekly walks. However, as is often the way with obsessions, walking became jogging which turned to running and before I knew it cycling and swimming had joined the party! I suddenly found that, after over four decades of blissful inactivity, and a physique to prove it, my day is now incomplete without a 4 mile jog, 20 mile bike ride or 35 lengths at Impington pool. I think Deb is still reeling from shock.

So why the shed? Well, discussion last year turned to celebrating milestone birthdays.  A new garden shed was one suggestion but I felt that for me (and 2012 is a big year) perhaps something different and challenging, involving friends and travel and adventure on a Sir Francis Drake scale, would be more appealing. Besides, I’d forever struggle to decide between shiplap and tongue and grooved.

I am very fortunate to have a wonderful and gorgeous wife who is happy to let me go off and do daft things. Debbie understands what I’m like, and has selflessly encouraged me over the last few months. She is very special!

And so, on January 26 2012 I set off with five mates – Kevin Scully, Andrew Wyllie, Chris Cross and John and Jim Bowles - for Tanzania, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

We’ve chosen the longest route, the Machame, to give us the most time to acclimatise. It is over 19,300ft to the summit, that’s over four times Ben Nevis, so altitude sickness is a very real problem, especially when our two nearest summits here in Willingham are Belsars Hill  at 13ft and Giants Hill at 17ft.

We’re covering all the costs ourselves but would like you to consider sponsoring us.

We all feel it would be a great opportunity to raise money for a number of different charities. I’ve chosen Tearfund – it’s a Christian organisation supporting poor communities around the world through the actions of local churches. I feel we take an enormous amount for granted – our freedom, health, wealth, security and wonderful surroundings – and feel that Tearfund is an excellent way to give to those not born into our privileged situation.

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. Or else I’ll have to scrap it all and start looking at sheds again.