Dad's appeal to join African adventure

Pete Griffith is asking people to sign up for a professionally led group trek to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa in September.

He wants people to help raise vital funds for Helen & Douglas House, the children’s and young adults’ hospice charity that cared for Pete’s two eldest daughters, Misha and Natalie.

Professional photographer Pete, aged 51, took on the Kilimanjaro challenge in 2016 and the Helen & Douglas House group, including supporters and staff and volunteers from the hospice, raised £59,000 - including Gift Aid - for the charity.

Pete said: ‘I have first-hand experience of the expertise and care that Helen & Douglas House provides.

“My eldest daughters Misha and Natalie died from Late Infantile Batten Disease in 2002 and 2003, aged just 7 and 5 years respectively. I want to raise funds for Helen & Douglas House because of the amazing support they gave our family in our darkest days. The Kilimanjaro trek is an incredible, life-changing challenge and a fantastic way to see a beautiful country and raise funds for much needed hospice care. Doing it with a bunch of like-minded people is also great fun.”

A Kilimanjaro 2017 Information Evening is arranged for January 25 at the hospice in East Oxford. To book your place, contact the fundraising team at [email protected] call 01865 799150 or visit http://tinyurl.com/zj79dod.

For more information about the disease visit http://bdsra.org/what-is-batten-disease/