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On February 4^th – 11^th I will attempt to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of St Dunstan’s, which for almost a century has been giving invaluable physical and emotional support to blind and visually impaired ex-Service men and women.

Joining me on the trek is my friend Nicki, as well as Paul Jacobs, a 21 year rifleman, totally blinded by an IED in Afghanistan and later awarded the George Medal for his bravery in dragging himself into an area where he knew his rescue would be safer for medics.

I have set myself quite a high fundraising target and so any money you would like to donate will be greatly received.  A bit of background on St Dunstan’s and the trek can be found below:

More About St Dunstan’s - St Dunstan’s was founded in 1915 to help the young soldiers returning to the UK who had been blinded on the bloody battlefields of the Somme. They were given back their independence, and their future, through rehab and training, something that is still at the heart of St Dunstan’s work today as they remain the only charity in the UK to provide direct support through rehab and training to Service Personnel and veterans who have been blinded in conflict. Over the course of their 95 years they have worked with young men and women who have been blinded during the Second World War. Some lost their eyesight as a result of malnutrition as they were forced to work as slave labour on the notorious Burma to Siam railway, also called the railway of death. While others who were still teenagers were blinded during the D-Day Landings and women workings in the munitions factories were caught in explosions.

 

St Dunstan’s has been there for people who were blinded in Korea, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and it is there for soldiers who are blinded in the present day conflict Afghanistan.

 

Today the charity is not just for people who were blinded in action, they also support  ex-Service men and women who have lost their eyesight as a result of age, accident, illness or injury.

 

www.youtube.com/stdunstansnews

 

About Mt Kilimanjaro - Mt Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and the highest free standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres. We will be trekking through virtually every ecosystem on earth – glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle - all of which are found on the mountain. Temperatures will range from 30 degrees Celsius to lows of minus 25 degrees Celsius as we approach the summit.

How Do I Donate? - 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.