A Fareham councillor has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise nearly £3,000 for a children’s cancer charity.
Fred Birkett, ward councillor for Fareham Park, spent six days climbing Africa’s tallest mountain in Tanzania and two days coming back down.
He braved altitude sickness and described the experience as “walking through syrup and breathing through custard” after reaching 15,000 feet.
In total, he raised more than £2,300, which increased to just under £3,000 with gift aid.
The councillor’s aim was to raise awareness for childhood cancer and support the Fareham-based charity, Sophie’s Legacy.
Cllr Birkett said: “It was a natural progression to combine raising money at the same time as spreading awareness of the work Sophie’s Legacy does by climbing Kilimanjaro.”
The challenge coincided with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, during which Cremer Mall in Fareham was illuminated in gold lights.
Sophie’s Legacy, along with other charities like Children with Cancer UK and Neuroblastoma UK, is being supported during the awareness month.
The charity was set up by Charlotte Fairall in memory of her daughter Sophie, who died in 2021 at the age of nine after being diagnosed with the rare cancer, Rhabdomyosarcom.
Sophie’s wishes for improved hospital conditions for children with cancer form the foundation of the charity.
Charlotte Fairall, Sophie’s mum, said the charity spent £51,000 on hot food last year.
The charity also invests in play workers to occupy children during hospital stays, which aids their recovery.
At present, Sophie’s Legacy funds a five-day-a-week support worker in Portsmouth Hospital who provides a holistic service to families.
The charity has made changes locally and nationally in childhood cancer care.
Last year, it worked with 40 children’s wards across 12 hospitals in the south, helping 60,000 families with everything from pyjamas to food to toiletries to putting fuel in the car.
Cllr Birkett became a trustee and is now its chairman. He “fell in love” with the charity and decided to take on more responsibility.
He trained for six months before the climb, walking 25 miles per week along the South Downs Way.
However, he said there is nothing in England that can prepare you for the altitude of Kilimanjaro, which is 19,341 feet above sea level.
Cllr Birkett is now in training for his next fundraising adventure, cycling to Paris in June.
He invites anyone interested to join him on the ride.
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