"2 Dicks Do Kili"

Apologies for the cheap headline, you don’t need to clear your search history! Richard H and Richard P are climbing Kilimanjaro to raise funds for several good causes.

We are embarking on our 10-day trip and 7-day trek on the 18th January 2024, climbing the highest free-standing mountain in the world where the summit is close to 6000 metres above sea level.

We will be camping on the mountain each night, attempting to re-charge in sub-zero temperatures after a full day's hike. Day 6 is 'Summit Day', our toughest challenge yet, where we set off at midnight and trek for around 5-6 hours in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees by torchlight. We will then feel on top of the world as we watch the African sunrise and the breathtaking views from the summit, before commencing our descent back down over the final two days.

We are raising funds for several charities namely:

1. The Hinge – this is a local charity based in Bridlington, our home town, that offers support, guidance, service and opportunities to those facing social and financial deprivation. The charity has helped lots of our staff teams, families and other local people.

2. The ITP Support Association - Richard P’s daughter, Layla, was diagnosed with this rare autoimmune blood disorder back in January 2021 having undergone numerous blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy to pinpoint this condition.

3. SMA UK – Richard H’s nephew, Marley, was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 2020. SMA is a serious condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement and swallowing.

4. Coeliac UK - Layla, Richard P's daughter, was also diagnosed with this lifelong autoimmune condition following additional blood tests in connection with her ITP back in February 2021.

We have already raised funding for the whole trip, so anything we raise will be shared with the above charities. If you donate and want to help a particular charity, just mention in the comments, otherwise we will split the fundraising equally.

We have completed our warm up walk of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks and Rich P has recently tackled Ben Nevis. We will be utilising the next few weeks to prepare, practice and train.

It would be great if you can support us in any way you can; money, best wishes, a like on social media or good luck message.

Thanks for reading Rich and Rich.

More information on the charities:

The ITP Support Association promotes and aims to improve the general welfare of patients of ITP and their families by providing support and information. They work alongside the medical profession to advance the knowledge and treatment available by providing information and funding research into the condition. Layla is now undergoing treatment which, without the invaluable research and support provided by this association, would not be possible. https://itpsupport.org.uk/

Coeliac UK strive for better gluten free food in more places, providing independent, trustworthy advice and support to their community, and funding crucial research to not only manage the impacts of gluten, but also find the answers to coeliac disease. https://www.coeliac.org.uk/home/

SMA UK work tirelessly to raise awareness around this condition, supporting and advocating affected individuals and their families to ensure a timely diagnosis and effective treatment. Marley has received life-changing treatment for his condition and we would like to help support this charity by raising funds and awareness. https://smauk.org.uk/

The Hinge offer support for the Homeless and Risk of Homelessness for all ages and provides information to help with eviction notices and help finding local properties. They also provide a number of services for the local community to promote health, wellbeing and cohesion. There is a regular food store and can provide food parcels to the local area. Another strand of The Hinge is inspiring young people in the community, offering clubs and activities, after schools clubs, independent living group, weekly "Us girls" groups and more. https://thehinge.org.uk/