War veteran and triple amputee Andy Reid is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity to mark the 13th anniversary of getting injured in Afghanistan. The father-of-two from St Helens landed in Tanzania on Friday ahead of his mission to climb the 19,000ft peak in Tanzania, east Africa, with the aim of raising £10,000 for his Standing Tall Foundation.
Corporal Reid lost both legs and an arm when he was blown up by an improvised explosive device by the Taliban in October 2009. But since then he has been given an MBE for his charitable work with his foundation, which raises money for people who suffer social and mental health problems.
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"The challenge starts here. I'm a bit nervous about it but looking forward to it at the same time," said Andy, who has admitted medics have urged him to take care.
He is attempting to become the first triple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and at the same time raise money through his foundation to provide free support for people who are struggling with their physical and mental health by providing counselling, addiction support and physical activity.
He will be joined on the climb by Manchester PR firm boss Lisa Morton who, with Andy, has been helped into peak physical condition by Ultimate Performance, a renowned gym to the stars in Spinningfields in the city centre.
Lisa, who started PR firm Roland Dransfield in 1996, said: "I’ve been following Andy’s journey for a long time, both personally and professionally, and he’s an inspiration. I really wanted to do a big challenge this year and when I found out about three months ago that Andy was going to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, I knew this was the challenge. Then my son Alex said he would do it with me, which I thought would be an amazing life experience."
Andy added: "I’m absolutely delighted that Lisa and her team will be joining us, on what is going to be an epic challenge. Lisa phoned me a few months ago to ask if we had any spare places for the climb and luckily, we did. It’s already been fantastic to have her on board. Lisa is so well known in Manchester. She has so many connections and she’s already helped us to not only bring in donations, but to also raise awareness of what we do at the Standing Tall Foundation.
“Every we step we take up Mt Kilimanjaro is a step towards raising the funds that could save someone’s life. But it’s not just about the money. It’s about raising awareness of what we do, and how we can help people. Unfortunately, the NHS waiting list to access mental health services is so long – up to two years in some cases – that it can cause people in real need of help a lot of upset and distress knowing they have to wait so long.
"And the consequences of such a long wait can be devastating. We aim to get a counsellor to speak with anyone who needs our help within 24 hours of making an enquiry. 48 hours maximum.
"The money we raise will help us to fund more counselling so we can continue to provide our services free of charge. But it’s not just about the money. It’s about raising awareness of the Standing Tall Foundation and how we can help. If just one person who is suffering with either an addiction or depression reads this, and reaches out for help, we could save that person’s life. And you can’t put on a price on that."
Donations can be made here.
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