On visits to Morocco, we were all sad to see the suffering of the huge numbers of street dogs and cats in Marrakech and other parts of the country. We spent quite a lot of time - and holiday pocket money - trying to help some of them, but it didn't go very far. On the plane on the way home last January, we all resolved to do something really challenging to raise money to allow more of these beautiful animals get the help they need. Climbing Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa at 4167m (more than three times the height of Ben Nevis!) in the Atlas Mountains, seemed to fit the bill, and we are off there at the end of October. The five-day trek is certainly daunting and will be by far our toughest yet, especially for the younger members of the family who, being 8, 10 and 12, would be amongst the youngest to reach the summit, but we are determined and excited, and can't wait for the adventure.

Having already fostered and adopted street dogs from Romania and a cat from Tunisia, we know how well many of these animals can adapt to life in the UK. We have seen the transformations that can happen, despite the trauma they have been through, and the joy that these beautiful, resilient animals can bring to families here. We have chosen to raise money for an amazing rescue organisation in Marrakech which works extremely hard with very limited resources to help the dogs and cats in the most need, giving medical attention, providing care in their overcrowded shelter, undertaking sterilisation programmes to reduce the scale of the problem, and also trying their best to find homes for some, including in the UK. We are spending a day helping out there after our trek, and all the money raised will go directly to the charity, helping to care for some of Marrakech's most needy street animals. For more details of the work that they do, see https://www.helpadoptmoroccananimals.org.

We would be so grateful if you could sponsor us, however small the amount.

Thank you very much

Jonny, Fizz, Isla, Louis and Daniel