Brora man Paul Mackintosh’s Mount Kilimanjaro climb raises over £16k for children’s charity
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Brora man has described a fundraising climb he made to the summit of 19,341ft Mount Kilimanjaro as a “fantastic experience” and “far better” than he had expected.
He set a target of £10,000 but has raised £16,100 for the Inverness-based charity Safe Strong & Free, which works to reduce the vulnerability of young children to abuse and assault.
Morrison Construction, which supports a charity each year, chose Safe, Strong and Free as its partner charity for 2023.
A cheque presentation ceremony is to be held shortly at the Heathmont Hotel, Inverness.
Mr Mackintosh, who lives with his wife Kate and their young son Harris, flew from Edinburgh to Kilimanjaro International Airport via Doha, Qatar, at the end of February.
He was part of a 10-strong, multi-national group put together by Climb Kilimanjaro - solo climbers are not allowed on the mountain and must be accompanied by professional guides.
The group climbed the arduous ‘Northern Circuit’ route, camping on the mountain for eight nights before reaching the summit.
“It was fantastic,” said Mr Mackintosh. “The weather was brilliant and the people were great. I was worried about being out of touch with home, but I managed to stay in contact.”
He was struck by how lush Tanzania was, but also by the obvious poverty with “people trying their hardest to make a living selling fruit, vegetable and scrap metal”.
Paul, who had trained hard for the challenge, did not find the climb too difficult but was affected by altitude sickness, suffering a sore head and nausea at the sight of food.
“I was just short of the summit when I felt light-headed but I got stuck into a caramel wafer and that saw me through it,” he said.
The flight back was via Dar es Salaam and Kate and Harris were waiting to welcome Paul when he touched down at Edinburgh airport.
The fundraiser was Paul’s first, and he has no plans for any more at the moment, instead concentrating instead on a family visit to Harry Potter World and Legoland in London later in the year.
Kerry Lowe, project manager at Safe, Strong & Free said: “The money Paul has raise will help us provide workshops and resources that empower children to protect themselves from harm and seek help when they need it.”
