| Sunray Doors was delighted to support the recent fundraising attempt by Justine Walker (right) from its external marketing department, who has just completed a climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (At 5,895m / 19,340ft it is the highest point in Africa). All the money raised – now well over £5,000 – goes to Naomi House, a children’s hospice in Hampshire that provides care to children and young adults with life-limiting conditions. |
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| Sunray’s contribution of £500, the largest single donation, was itself a prize won by Sunray Doors for entering and winning the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce entrepreneurial competition in 2010. |
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| David Evans, Sunray’s Managing Director said: “It is fitting that this prize, which was always destined to be used to support a really worthy cause, will help make a significant difference – and the fact that Justine chose to take on a tall challenge to raise both funds and awareness for Naomi House is doubly rewarding. We often take too much for granted, particularly in these troubling economic times and just like her standing on top of Africa – it’s important to see the bigger picture.” |
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| Justine’s entire trip was 18 months in preparation and was coordinated by Action Challenge. A gruelling training programme that involved events most weekends during the preceding months, enabled a total of 11 people, each raising a minimum of £3500 for their chosen charity, prepare for and take part in this particular expedition. Also within the party that climbed Mt Kilimanjaro were a trek leader and a doctor from Action Challenge, whose services were much needed on the climb, three highly experienced local guides plus a number of support porters. |
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| Justine explains: “Having arrived at Kilimanjaro we spent the first night in a hotel before embarking on the expedition for real – passing through the Machame gate, which stands at around 5,577ft / 1700m and is one of the main entrances to this Tanzanian national park. The route we were to take is regarded as one of the hardest to the summit – that’s not to say the alternative moderate or easy routes are a walk in the park – but we would have a number of near vertical stages to negotiate just for starters.” |
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| In addition to having to deal with the extreme cold, sleeping in tents and preparing food on camp fires, Justine and the group also had to come to terms with hours of walking over rough terrain and acclimatising to the thinning air at altitude. The sheer exertion each day also meant they were burning thousands of calories – and these needed to be replaced. “I cannot say that this was a culinary trip – several bowls of millet porridge each day were the core of our rations and conjured up images from the musical ‘Oliver’ and his request; ‘please Sir, can I have some more’ – but it kept us going and helped me focus on who this was going to ultimately help. |
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| After four days of climbing and acclimatisation, Justine and her group all set off just before midnight for the final seven hour trek, reaching the summit at around 7am on Wednesday 02 March, just as the sun began to break over the horizon. “This was a really moving and literally breath-taking moment,” she continued. “As I neared the top I was totally exhausted and the only thing driving me on for the last couple of hundred of feet was the determination to secure the donations for the children and the need to prove to myself that I could achieve this goal. |
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| “The temperature was around minus 15°C and we were all emotional and thrilled to have made it to the top. After a quick series of photo calls and a chance to begin to contemplate what we had achieved it was time to start the long decent. The children at Naomi House have to cope with difficult circumstances on a daily basis, so my few hours of ‘pain and discomfort’ were nothing in comparison. |
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“Now that I’m home I look back on the whole trip as probably the most exhilarating, the scariest and the most challenging thing I have ever done. Would I do this particular expedition again – probably not! Would I recommend anybody else does it – definitely yes – especially if it is for a worthy cause like Naomi House. And what’s next for me – well I’m definitely looking at further challenges and fund raising opportunities where I can continue to make a difference – but first I think I’ll just sit down in a comfortable chair by an open fire and catch up with a couple of good books.”
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| The expedition took 10 days to complete and Justine has nothing but praise for the organisers plus real gratitude for all those that helped make it happen. Part of the success was down to support for a number of fund raising events Justine and friends organised during the build-up, including cream teas and a very enjoyable hog roast last summer. Generous donations from Sunray and a number of other corporate sponsors, plus individual sponsorship via her 'Just Giving' link (www.justgiving.com) also all contributed to her target to raise over £5,000 being exceeded – with other donations still being received. So a big 'THANK YOU’ to all and for further information what the funds raised will be used for, visit the Naomi House website at www.naomihouse.org.uk |
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Kilimanjaro facts
- Mt Kilimanjaro at 19,340 feet above sea level is the tallest mountain in Africa and the world's highest free-standing mountain.
- Kilimanjaro lies 205 miles South of the equator and stands on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya.
- The structure is composed of 3 volcanoes: Kibo (19,340 feet), Mawenzi (16,896 feet), and Shira (13,000 feet). And supports five major eco-zones: rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and glaciers.
- German geographer Hans Meyer and Austrian mountain climber Ludwig Purtscheller were the first to climb Kilimanjaro in 1889 and today, about 15,000 people attempt the climb each year.
- The name Kilimanjaro has no certain origin, but one of the most popular theories is that it came from KILMA NJARO meaning “shining mountain” in Swahili. The shiny snow on the peak led nearby residents to believe that evil spirits guarded the mountain. This myth could also explain why some referred to NJARO as a demon that caused cold.
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| Naomi House facts |
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- Naomi House and Jack's Place at Sutton Scotney, Winchester, are specialist, purpose built hospices that provide support for children and young adults with conditions that mean they are unlikely to live to become adults plus helps to relieve families from the day to day pressures of looking after them.
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- It costs around £5 million a year to run the two units. The charity receives around 10% of its funding from the Department of Health. The remaining £4.5 million is raised by people and businesses across region.
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- Many people get involved in fundraising while others volunteer their time to help ensure the hospice is able to continue its work.
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