Northern Irish climbers take on Mount Kilimanjaro for Macmillan

Lesley Banks and Paul Meredith raised £8,350 for Macmillan Cancer Support by taking part in the Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition in September 2009.

Lesley and Paul said 'The experience was fantastic although the altitude sickness was hard to endure. We were joined on the adventure by eight others from all parts of Ireland, it was organised by Craig McCullough of Outdoor Concepts, a very professional outdoor pursuits company. We met many good friends on this journey which made the whole experience much more enjoyable.'

'We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the generous sponsors from Halo, Lesley's salon in Moira and everyone who donated prizes and gifts for the charity fundraising evening at Drumbo Park Dog Races in July. We managed to raise £8,350. However with Gift Aid and sponsorship the total will be more than £9,000. It was a real honour to present the cheque to Rosaleen from Macmillan Cancer Support who helped us with our fundraising. We would have been lost without all her help and support.'

Macmillan Fundraising Manager, Rosaleen commented, 'Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the highest freestanding mountains in the world, towering 5,895 metres above the surrounding plains so it was a real achievement for Lesley and Paul to take part and complete this challenge. The trek itself requires buckets of determination, drive and lots of guts and Paul and Lesley continued to show this throughout their fundraising events. The amount of money they raised was fantastic and will be used to fund local Macmillan services. It was a real pleasure to work alongside them both and support them to the end.'

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help. Call our cancer support specialists on 0808 808 00 00.