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Hi everyone from Richard Dunne and Alistair Campbell.

In just 8 weeks, Alistair and I fly out to Tanzania to fulfil a life time ambition for us both of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and free standing mountain in the world at 5,895m (19,341ft). In just 5 days we will both hike a distance of 70 km, up to the Uhuru Peak and back, via the Marangu Route.

As a life long friend, Alistair has been a huge rock in our families life….so Kilimanjaro seems quite fitting!

Richard’s story:

“Throughout my life and 25 years of working at RSA, work and friends has been like having another family to me, being there through all my highs and lows. I am hoping that over the next couple of months you can help make this one of the biggest highs with a life long friend and RSA!

Those who are familiar with my love of the outdoors and physical challenges will know I have already taken on cycling from London to Liverpool and from Coast to Coast, hiking up 24 of the Wainright Peaks in 24 hours and the infamous 3 Peaks Challenge climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon consecutively in just 24 hours with RSA. So, for my next big challenge it had to be something special, enter Mount Kilimanjaro.

Success is not guaranteed, as whilst we can and have been training for the climb, there is the small issue of altitude sickness we will have to compete with. I am told whilst medication is available to help, just how your body reacts to altitude is a bit of a lottery 😊. That said, I think they will have to drag Al and I off the mountain kicking and screaming if we get our own way.

By undertaking this epic adventure, we are raising money for two wonderful charities.

In June 2004, I was working in the basement floor of RSA’s Liverpool office, when a couple of close colleagues came to me and asked me to come with them. It was at this point I knew something was wrong but had no idea what I was about to be told. When I was met by my elder brother Stuart and his wife Karen, I knew something was terribly wrong. It was this moment that I found that my eldest brother Mike had passed away. Devastating as this was, it was nothing compared to what I was to be told next. Mike had taken his own life. At just 37 years old, Mike had reached the point where everything going on his life was just too much for him, and this, he decided was his escape from it all.

In December 2021, my elder brother Stuart also passed away at 53 years old, after a short battle with bladder cancer but, in reality, this isn’t his real story. Stuart, at the age of 17, crashed a car, breaking his neck leading to life in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic. Despite his injury, Stuart was determined to live his life to the full. I will not go into the details of Stuart’s amazing life, but in the gallery I have a few photos to give you a flavour of Stuart’s story (see if you can name the faces). I have also added a couple of my favourite photos of Mike, including the last photo I got with him before he passed away (it’s a terrible photo of me, I might have had one or two beers!). I am always happy to talk about both Mike and Stu, whether it has triggered a connection or if you are just interested to hear more, I personally think we can all learn something from them both.

Working with a wonderful organisation like RSA has given me not just a career, but also friends and a support network which has helped me through the tougher times, and the realisation that everyone, at some point, goes through these periods and that we as a community can support each other. So whilst these events are incredibly sad, I would like to remember that both Mike and Stu had a huge positive impact on my life as my elder brothers and it is for this reason I am hoping I can celebrate their lives, pay my respect to them and most importantly raise some money for a couple of charities I know they would both love to see getting your support.

Obvious choice is to raise money for The Samaritans, a fantastic charity who support individuals like my brother Mike, who need an outlet or support during their time of need. The other obvious choice for me is the not so widely known charity Back Up. They are a wonderful organisation who provide support to individuals and families impacted by spinal cord injuries.”

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