After a successful EBC trek, I signed on for a trip in January 2025, where I will be sumitting Mount Kilimanjaro with a group of friends! We will be hiking to 5895m altitude to the highest point in Africa over the course of 7 days!

As the trip falls so close to Christmas, and given the current socioeconomic problems that so many families are faced with, I wanted to raise money for a Glasgow based charity that I know does great work around the holidays to ensure that vulnerable and disadvantaged children across Glasgow have presents to wake up to on Christmas day, something that so many of us take for granted.

A little about the charity, in their words…

“Be Someone's Santa (SCIO) provides Christmas gifts for specifically nominated children and young adults who are unlikely to receive anything at Christmas time. What began as a small collection by a Glasgow South Side mum five years ago, now delivers over 1,500 gifts each year.

Primarily supporting Glasgow South Health and Social Care Partnership, these gifts go to some of Glasgow's most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and families. In recent years, and thanks to the wonderful support we have received from our pledgers, we have also been able to extend our support to community projects, Social Work, and young care leaver services across East and North Glasgow too. Many of these children and families simply do not have the resources to offer a Christmas like many of us take for granted; indeed some have no family around them at all, or are living in homeless/temporary accommodation.

Each year we have seen an increase in the number of families in need of our support and we are expecting this year to be especially challenging as a result of the rising cost of living many are facing.

Be Someone’s Santa is a truly wonderful initiative, which has brought so much joy in what is a very difficult time for these children. We hope you can support us in delivering smiles this Christmas morning to Glasgow’s most vulnerable children and young adults. After all, every child deserves the gift of Christmas. “

Any donations are welcome, big or small.

(This trip is 100% self-funded, any and all proceeds will go directly to the charity)