This October I am hoping to raise £6,500 for Skanco’s chosen charity of the year, Housing Matters by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. This is a fantastic charity which helps the homeless on the island and the money raised will be used to launch Night Stop Isle of Man, a new initiative aimed at providing supervised accommodation for four weeks or longer for 16 to 19-year-olds who are coming out of care and have to fend for themselves.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa at 5895 metres. Taking the Umbwe route approaching Kilimanjaro from the South, this route is a short, steep and direct one and considered to be very difficult. 14 companions and I, all of whom have been involved in setting up the ICT university at the Nunnery, aim to reach the top in 5 days.

Our chosen charity seeks to reduce, prevent and manage homelessness on the Island. They work with clients from 16-84 years, and support singles, couples and families with housing issues offering practical help, advice and support. They act as an unseen additional emergency service helping those in crisis. They support clients facing eviction or loss of tenancy, those trying to escape unsafe or abusive environments or substandard accommodation and those simply ‘put out of their home' by parents or partners. Many people on Island are only one or two pay cheques removed from being in a crisis. We never know what is around the corner or who will be next to seek help.

Thank you for your donation, it will certainly help me focus if it gets tough up there!

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.