For those of you that don't know, I (Sali) have been a volunteer with the Stroke Association for 5 and a half years now, and enjoy it as much now as I did when I first began.  Ever since my dad suffered a stroke almost 9 years ago and seeing the devastation that a stroke can leave in its wake, not just for the stroke survivor but for the family as a whole we have felt very strongly that there is so much more that can be done to support stroke survivors to regain their lives.  Much more than is being done currently, but, unfortunately, to improve the services that are available it (as always) takes more money than is available, which is why Damian and I are hoping to raise as much money as we can for the Stroke Association. 

  

We are in the process of getting as fit and mountain!!! fit as we possibly can at present, having just returned from a weekend in Snowdonia, climbing Snowdon not just on the Saturday but also on the Sunday by a different route, completely frightening ourselves on just how hard it will be and that's without the altitude, I'll have to stop now or there is a danger I might talk us out of it. Although no matter how hard it might be to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro it will end when we reach the top, it is nothing compared to just how hard life has become for some stroke survivors EVERY day just to do what we all take for granted, simple everyday tasks.

   

The trip itself has been completely self funded, so every penny that is raised will go directly to the Stroke Association to support stroke survivors.