As many of you will be aware, I lost my Father to cancer on Christmas Day 2008. In his final month, he was looked after by Thames Hospicecare. The staff and accomodation were amazing. The charity recieves only a small contribution from the NHS so it relies heavily on its shops, which are obviously another significant cost, and fund raisers like myself. Many in my family were so overwhelmed by the love and tenderness shown by the staff, not only to my father, but to the whole family, that we made a promise to ourselves that one day we would do something for them in return.

My time has come. On a drunken evening in the pub last Christmas, a couple of my friends said they were off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2011. I immediately jumped on the band wagon. I thought that, like you all probably do, if fat boy Chris Moyles can do it, so can I. And I will raise some money for charity on the back of it.

I have since researched our challenge, and believe me, it's no mean feat to get to the top. Around 30-40% of the people who attempt it fail. The altitude can be a killer, literally. Many people can't adjust to the extreme altitude and have to descend quickly to save themselves from life threatening illness.

So, I am asking you all to dig deep and contribute what you can afford. Yes, it will be a trip of a lifetime for me, if I make it back lol. But the money I raise will really help someone else's mother or father be cared for by these amazing people in their time of need.

None of the money you pledge will go towards my costs.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.