A fireman from Norfolk is setting out to scale the world’s highest freestanding mountain to raise vital funds for charity in honour of his late wife.

Pete Sheedy, from Poringland, will be leaving the UK for Tanzania on the 18th January to tackle the arduous climb and raise money for the NNUH charity and Banham Zoo. Money raised for the hospital charity will benefit Hethel Ward, which looks after patients with respiratory conditions. Pete’s late wife, Keren Sheedy, spent time on Hethel ward during her illness.

Pete, 54, said: “The team on Hethel ward were great, providing the care and dedication I would associate with those at the top of their field. The kindness of the nurses was outstanding and the idea for this trek was borne out of wanting to give something back to those people and ensure others benefit from similar care in the future.”

It will take Pete and 14 other participants from Norfolk five demanding days to complete the 35-mile trek from entry gate to the mountain summit, climbing for up to 14 hours per day. Mount Kilimanjaro stands almost 6,000 metres above sea level, and in addition to acclimatising to the change in altitude, Pete and the other climbers will have to cope with temperature extremes ranging from -20 degrees to 20 degrees centigrade over the course of their journey.

Pete added: “I’m hoping that we’ll all pull together and encourage each other; we know that some people don’t make it the entire 4,600m climb, but we’re determined that with some good humour, gritted teeth and a great fundraising total in our sights, we’ll manage to conquer the mountain! I started training for the climb last June and my day job with the fire brigade keeps me very fit.  I’m grateful to my colleagues who have been very supportive of my climb and who I know will be with me in spirit, if not in person, every step of the way.’’

Louise Cook, Fundraising Manager said: “Hats off to Pete for signing up to this epic challenge to fundraise for our hospital. It’s with huge gratitude that we wish him the very best of luck and hope lots of people dig deep to support him in his adventure and in raising money for a great cause.”

Pete is hoping to raise £1250 for the hospital’s Hethel ward. If you would like to support him then please visit his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/P-Sheedy.