AN engineer is gearing up to climb Africa’s highest for charity.

Terry Allen, 54, of Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, will be trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro with his friend Alan Shipperlee, 54, from Chelmsford, to raise £5,895 for Little Havens Children’s Hospice – a pound for every metre climbed.

Terry, who works for Fujitsu, said it was his dream to reach the summit of the peak in Tanzania.

He said: “It all started a couple of years ago. Alan and myself, who have known each other since school, were talking about it in the pub.

“I said I knew some people who had climbed Kilimanjaro and said it was a fantastic experience, and it just snowballed from there.”

The pair will start the ten-day trek on Tuesday. To ensure every penny of sponsorship goes to Little Havens, Terry and Alan will be funding the trip themselves.

Terry said: “I wouldn’t like to say how much it will cost, but I want people to know their money will be going to charity.”

To sponsor Terry and Alan, log on to www.justgiving.com/terryskilimanjaroclimb