• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Thursday October 17 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Accountant scales Kilimanjaro in Wiltshire Air Ambulance charity climb

A partner at the Swindon office of South West accountancy firm Haines Watts has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Having always wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Emma Skinner reached the summit in the early hours of October 10 following a gruelling six-day trek.

The trek started at the Lemosho Gate, hiking through rainforests surrounded by wildlife, across desert and rocky ground and moorland to reach the Shira Camp where some of the group started to experience signs of altitude sickness, which can be a very serious condition determining whether guides allow hikers to continue or not.

After a singing performance from the support team in Shira, Emma pushed through and continued to hike over 18,000 metres over the following 4 days. The weather reached lows of –15 degrees centigrade, the terrain was tough going and the altitude sickness got worse.

After hiking through the night, Emma reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in time to see the sunrise on the Africa horizon. The guides allowed a short stop to take in her achievement and a couple of photos before being encouraged to start her descent as quickly as possible due to being at high altitude for so long.

Reflecting on her journey, Emma said: “Climbing Kilimanjaro has been a tough and humbling experience. I feel extremely privileged to have been welcomed into such a wonderful community in Tanzania. I have been challenged mentally and physically and I experienced so many emotions during the trek – overwhelmingly, I am proud of the achievement.”

The operational costs of Wiltshire Air Ambulance are upwards of £12,000 per day, covering the expenses of their helicopter, critical care cars, crew, supplies, and ongoing maintenance.

It is through the support of local businesses and fundraising that these costs are met – there is no funding from the government or national lottery grants.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance fundraising manager Fraser Normington said: “We are always taken aback by the lengths some people will go to raise funds for their local air ambulance charity and Emma’s challenge is certainly one of the hardest around.

“Everyone at the charity would like to congratulate Emma on successfully scaling Mount Kilimanjaro and we cannot thank her enough for undertaking the challenge to support Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s lifesaving service, with the backing of the team at Haines Watts.”

Supporters can continue to donate to Wiltshire Air Ambulance through Emma’s donation page which remains live until October 25 at https://www.givengain.com/ap/emma-skinner-raising-funds-for-wiltshire-air-ambulance/#timeline