Story
14 Years Old Finley is Climbing in Memory of His Nan, Janice Perry
Hi, my name is Finley Perry, and on the 9th December I’ll be taking on the challenge of a lifetime; climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the WORLD, standing at 5,895 meters (19,341 ft).
I’m doing this in memory of my Nan, Janice Perry, who bravely fought cancer. During her final months, she was cared for by the incredible team at Havens Hospices, who provided comfort, dignity and support to her and to our whole family. This climb is my way of giving back and honoring her strength.
I’m Not Doing This Alone I will be climbing with The Kilimanjaro Team:
My Dad, Alan Perry
Suki Dulai
Paresh Mehta
Sam Amore
Cancer has affected each of our lives. We have all experienced the fear, the love, the hope, and the heartbreak that comes with it.
We climb together to:
Honour those we’ve lost,
Support those still fighting,
And help those who will need care in the future.
How I Have Prepared:
To take on a mountain like Kilimanjaro, I knew I needed to be ready. Over the past year, I have:
Completed the UK Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike & Snowdon) with my Dad, Alan.
Taken on multiple endurance mountain hikes across the UK and climbed in the Dolomites in Italy, training at high altitude and steep technical terrain as our final preparation with the whole team.
The route we are taking lasts 6 days:
The Machame Route (6 Days)
Day 1: Machame Gate (1,815m) → Machame Camp (3,000m)
Trek through humid rainforest (5–7 hours).
Day 2: Machame Camp → Shira Camp (3,840m)
Steep climb into open moorland (4–5 hours).
Day 3: Shira Camp → Lava Tower (4,600m) → Barranco Camp (3,950m)
Acclimatisation day — climb high, sleep low.
Day 4: Barranco Camp → Karanga Valley → Barafu Camp (4,630m)
A demanding day including the Barranco Wall (6–8 hours).
Day 5: Barafu Camp → Uhuru Peak (5,895m) → Mweka Camp (3,110m)
Summit day. Midnight start. Extreme cold. 12–17 hours trekking.
Reaching the summit at sunrise will be the moment I climb for my Nan.
Day 6: Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate (1,830m)
Final descent and celebration.
Why I’m Fundraising:
Havens Hospices provides specialist care, free of charge, supported by donations.
Your support helps ensure other families receive the same compassion, dignity and comfort that my Nan, Janice received.
How You Can Help:
Any donation, BIG or small, genuinely makes a difference.
If you’re not able to donate, please share my page, awareness is powerful too.
Thank You:
Thank you for supporting me.
Thank you for supporting the team.
Thank you for supporting Havens Hospices.
And thank you for helping me honor my Nan’s memory in a way that continues her strength.
Every step we take, we take as a team and will remember my Nan, and those that we have lost and continue to be affected