The group have been training hard for the climb since January

EIGHTEEN Islanders will be spending their Easter holidays trekking 19,000 ft up Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, to raise cash for charity.

The team are hoping to raise £7,000 for local charity Help an African Schoolchild. All the cash raised by the group, who are aged between 20 to 60 years old, will be used for bursaries in Tanzania and to support building projects initiated by the charity in Zambia.

These include supporting a day centre built in Zambia by the charity in 2000 and helping to build a school in Tanzania.

The team has been training every week since January to try to get as fit as possible for the trek. Their regime, which included trudging the coast and other Island paths, culminated in an eight-hour group walk from St Catherine to Grosnez.

Vanessa Nash, who is one of the organisers and who will be taking part in the trek, said that the team had been dedicated in their training. Mrs Nash lives in St Lawrence and is a volunteer at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

‘They all show a commitment to getting as fit as possible for the climb,’ she said. ‘They are a great group and nervously excited about the challenge.

‘But no amount of training can prepare the trekkers for any altitude sickness they may encounter on the climb. That is one of the serious hazards of this climb that makes it a challenge can can never be taken lightly. Help an African Schoolchild has taken well over 100 people to climb Kilimanjaro and their summit success rate is better than the mountain statistics.’

The trekkers, who will start their five-day climb on Easter Sunday are Mrs Nash, Kevin Daly, Andrew Daly, Julie Daniels, Marlene, Pierre and Rachel Genée, Caroline Gorin, Irene Griffiths, Gabrielle Habin, Jenni Hamilton, Mick Henderson, Ken Hopes, Jo Louden, Paul McGuire, Elaine Richomme, Adrian Roberts and Steve Turner.

The team, who work in finance, education, construction and nursing, are planning to relax after their exertions on a three-day safari.