THE father and brother of Emily Jordan, who died in a riverboarding accident in New Zealand, will climb the highest mountain in Africa to raise money to continue her legacy.
Chris and son Alex Jordan, of Trimpley, will climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at nearly 5,900 metres high, on Saturday. They aim to raise £2,500 for the Emily Jordan Foundation, which will help the charity continue to support Wyre Forest-based projects Spokes, Twigs and Wood-works.
The schemes help people with learning disabilities gain skills and experience. Twigs supplies day opportunities and employment development skills through a variety of different projects and was launched in 2013 to help individuals who came to the foundation to develop new skills around gardening and horticulture.
Wood-works also started last year and helps attendees get involved in the manufacturing of many different wood products, from bird boxes to flower troughs, welly pullers and toolboxes.
Spokes is a social enterprise which aims to train young people with learning difficulties to enter the workplace.
Chris said: “The training has gone as well as is possible in the UK. It is not possible to train for altitude walking but we have been up Snowdon a couple of times and have done a lot around Long Mynd.
“We walk about 5 miles every morning around Trimpley, which is quite hilly.”
The mountain climb will add to the list of adventures Alex has been on to raise money for the foundation set up in memory of his sister. In 2006 he walked up Mount Kenya, raising more than £13,000 for Mencap. In 2009 he cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, collecting more than £25,000 and last year he rode his bike from Barcelona to Kidderminster, raising more than £11,000 to start the twigs project.
The foundation was set up in memory of 21-year-old Emily Jordan, of Trimpley, who drowned while river boarding in New Zealand in 2008.
Her parents Chris and Sarah Jordan set up the charity as a legacy to Emily, who spent much of her spare time with her brother Alex, who has learning difficulties.
To donate to Chris and Alex, visit justgiving.com/Alex-Jordan-KillyChallenge
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