Wigan teen to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro

Josh White hopes to raise £3,000 for the international children’s charity Hope For Children when he scales Africa’s highest mountain in August.

Over the course of two memorable weeks, Josh White and fellow Loughborough University students will climb ascend Kilimanjaro via the famous Machame summit route. They will set off on August 26 and will reach their destination by September 5.

The 19-year-old from Shevington heard about the challenge just weeks after starting his English and Sport Science degree course last October, and was immediately hooked by the idea of climbing Kilimanjaro.

Josh said: “Straight away I thought: yes, I’m doing this. It was definitely the challenge that appealed to me.

“When you see them do it on Comic Relief, it looks cool. But the charity element is most important, of course. It’s all about what the money can do. It’s for education, health and to empower families to live better lives, and to improve their farming and crops.”

Despite his enthusiasm for the cause, Josh wasn’t underestimating the gruelling preparation required of him.

Months of training have already been undertaken, with more to come, in order for Josh to complete what will be an incredible achievement.

He may never have climbed a mountain before, but Josh is no novice when it comes to charity work. Josh raised £400 by taking part in the Great Manchester Run for Macmillan cancer nurses in 2015.

Now he’s organising charity events in the run-up to his grand expedition, including a charity football match on April 2, bucket collections and family-fun days of Easter egg hunts and barbecues.

Hope for Children is an international charity that “passionately believes every child has the right to a happy, healthy and positive childhood.” It aims to give youngsters a positive childhood by improving access to education and healthcare while empowering families to support themselves.

Last year Hope For Children helped over 37,000 children and their families in seven different countries across Africa, Asia and the UK.

To sponsor Josh visit loughboroughkilimanjaro.everydayhero.com/uk/josh-s-kilimanjaro-trek