THIS SUMMER, two local students will be embarking on the challenge of a lifetime and climbing the world’s biggest free-standing mountain, Kilimanjaro.

Bethan Machin (19) and Lucy Morris (18) are Salford University students who are volunteering to raise funds and awareness for the vital work of the charity Dig Deep for people of Africa to have access to clean water.

The climb is taking place on August 28 and will take five days to climb.

“We were both born and raised in Pembrokeshire, and we have recently become aware of how fortunate we are to live in an area with consistent clean water, something that we can take for granted,” said Lucy from Saundersfoot.

“Together we have done charity work in the past by completing triathlons, but we now want to take on a challenge to push ourselves out of our comfort zone to raise a larger sum of money for people less fortunate. Therefore, we have taken on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Our goal is to raise £6,000 for Dig Deep, which is where we ask for your help,” continued Bethan, of Begelly.

The girls are busy fundraising. They have an online raffle for a luxury six-berth caravan in Brookside and Castlewood Caravan Park in Narberth. You can enter via - https://rafflecreator.com/pages/20994/kilimanjaro-charity-raffle

They have also got a BT donate page https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/lucymorris1

In addition, they have two Big Retreat Wales Festival tickets which they are selling (donated by the company), with all money going to the cause. The RRP is £149 each, but these tickets are being sold for £100 each or any other offers will be accepted. Contact the girls on [email protected] or 07450664289.

Added Lucy: “As for other fundraising plans, we are doing events in local schools Greenhill and Saundersfoot, which we are former students of, and we are also organising a charity ball at Trefloyne Manor in June. All proceeds will go to the charity and we are having an auction in the evening.”