Hello everybody… I’m Laura and I am a really outdoorsy person…

Of course, by this, I mean I walk my dogs around the sea front cause I kind of have to. I don’t do hiking, climbing or adventuring. I hate camping - no matter how ‘glam’ it claims to be. I’m terrified of travelling, especially on my own, I don’t go anywhere alone. Basically, my idea of a lovely walk is a mooch around the Metrocentre and as far as exercise goes I go to my Steppers class on a weekly basis and every now and again I attend the over 30's day time club and two step the day away!

So, what on Earth has possessed me to climb a 19,340 ft mountain?! Being the COO of Racz Group they say you're supposed to do “charity work” and once a year someone will come up with some ridiculous task for me to complete.

It started simple… night time walks, sleeping rough, jumping out of numerous planes but now we’re at “Let’s have Laura trek up Kilimanjaro alone!” and it’s becoming apparent, I’ll do absolutely ANYTHING for charity (and also, a bit of peace and quiet!)

I am genuinely scared of so many things. Will I be fit enough? Will I cope with the oxygen change and change in climate? Will I want to quit before I even get there? Will I be able to live without a toilet?

I’ll be in my own company for 7 days, sleeping in a tent alone for 5 nights (except for all the creepy crawlies, obviously!) I have less than six months to get fit (the lovely ladies at Steppers are helping me) Plus I need to make over 40 hours of motivational playlists and buy the weirdest kit I may have ever seen or needed (what on earth is a she-wee?!)

So, because this is the biggest challenge I will ever do, I’m raising money for three amazing charities: The Teesside Charity, Teenage Cancer Trust and The Partners Foundation. All of these organisations are a big deal to me - they are as close to my heart as you can possibly get, nestled right in there next to my mam, my kids, Buddy and Domino’s Pizza.

Teesside Charity supports community groups and charities that promote social wellbeing and provide support to those who find themselves at a disadvantage across Teesside. They cover everything from blood donations to caravan holidays and shoes for children who are living in poverty. They do beautiful work to improve the lives of so many people in my hometown.

Domino’s Partners Foundation exists to support Domino’s employees when they are experiencing difficult financial times in life, that are created by events outside of their own control. The Foundation aims to take care of the immediate financial challenge that they are facing, allowing them to step back onto the ladder of normality again.

Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support for young people.Their specialised nurses and youth workers walk with young people from diagnosis through every step of their treatment, and for up to two years afterwards, so that they can recover and live life to the full.

If you can donate anything towards my upcoming trek, I’d be incredibly grateful. My goal is to raise a MOUNTAIN of money - £19,340 to be precise. That’s £1 for every foot of Kilimanjaro that I’m going to climb (whether I like it or not, apparently!) If I can hit that target, the pain and misery will be totally worthwhile.

You can follow my adventure on my socials or at www.lauratarran.com

Thanks so much for your support!