A SANKEY Bridges man is preparing to scale all 19,341 feet of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Darren Parker, of Lavender Gardens, will climb Africa’s tallest peak in September raising funds for an organisation very close to his heart.

“Cancer had an enormous impact on my family’s life last year. My father passed away, my wife Mandy was battling breast cancer and her mum was suffering from bowel cancer” said the 29-year-old dad-of-two.

“Macmillan were extremely helpful and supportive during such a difficult time, even donating towards our travelling expenses.”

Darren’s father Kenny was a very popular figure. The former landlord of The Bull’s Head pub, on Church Street, was a renowned coach in amateur rugby for teams such as Crosfields and Woolston Rovers. His funeral was attended by more than 800 people.

“I needed to do something special to honour my dad’s memory, this is for him” said Darren, who works as a recruitment consultant for in Birchwood.

Darren will begin training for his expedition early next year, with several hill-climbs planned.

He added: “I’ve done various fundraisers before, half marathons and 10k runs, but this by far my most extreme challenge yet.”

To help, visit justgiving.com/Darrenclimbskilimanjaro or can you text DAZP63 to 70070 to donate £5.