Yorkshire Cancer Research is a charity which is very close to my heart. Unfortunately, several members of my family have suffered with cancer over the years. There have been many difficult moments but none tougher than in May 2022 when my amazing dad lost his battle with cancer.

He was first diagnosed in September 2020, and went through several months of chemotherapy before undergoing surgery the following year. Initially, we were told that this was successful. However, our worlds were turned upside down in April 2022 when we were informed that the cancer had returned, was widespread and was incurable.

My dad was fantastic company and loved cracking jokes. He was a firm believer in channeling negative emotions into positives and living life to the fullest. With this in mind, I have decided to take on a huge challenge and attempt to climb the highest mountain in Africa!

On the morning of the 2nd of June, one of my best mates Jordan and I will begin our gruelling trek to the summit of Tanzania's absolute beast of a volcano. There will be 5 nights of camping, 6 days of trekking, and a lifetime's worth of belting out Africa by Toto! It will all be worth it when, sometime around dawn on the 7th, we are (hopefully!) both standing on top of the continent, admiring the sunrise... if Carlsberg did mornings!

Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to do some pretty cool hikes. However, both Jordan and I are fully aware that this will be very difficult, both physically and mentally. We both love a challenge and are extremely excited for our adventure!

Jordan is raising money for Samaritans in memory of his dad who tragically died in 2018. It is an awesome charity that provides emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide. Please consider taking a look through Jordan's JustGiving page (link below) to read his story and donate to a great cause!

Jordan's JustGiving page: Jordan Harkin is fundraising for Samaritans (justgiving.com)

Our JustGiving team page: Ben and Jordan's African Adventure fundraising on JustGiving

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.