The Rev Amanda Collinson will climb Mount Kilimanjaro this September with some friends to try to raise £20,000 for Mountbatten Hospice.
Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa at over 19,000 feet (nearly 5,000 metres). Despite lying close to the Equator, its commit is permanently covered with snow and ice.
Amanda – who is vicar of Northwood and Gurnard churches in Cowes – says:
“Mountbatten Hospice is the most wonderful of places, full of Earthly Angels. Sadly, I have needed the help of these amazing people too many times since we arrived in 2013 – for dear friends like Jill (my ‘island’ Mum who died in June 2021 and in whose memory we are climbing!), my awesome neighbour Val and many, many lovely parishioners and community members who have had cancer.
“When the sufferers, their family and friends are going through the horrendous turmoil of diagnosis, treatment, and – regrettably for many – end of life discussions, the staff of Mountbatten provide a calm place, vital support, and – most importantly – unlimited love. They see us, and hold us, when we are at our most vulnerable, broken and in despair and – bless them – they consider it a privilege to look after our loved ones in their final weeks and then continue to support the families (mentally and emotionally) afterwards.
“I have rarely shied away from a challenge, but this is quite something! Climbing Kili will require a whole world of determination, reliance, strength, and effort. I could go on, but it will be nothing to what our loved ones have gone through during their cancer journeys or what the amazing staff at Mountbatten do on a daily basis. So, there is no excuse!”
![The Kili Team[12419]](https://cdn.islandecho.co.uk/uploads/2022/04/The-Kili-team12419-scaled.jpg)
There will be a scratch Gospel workshop in the afternoon before the concert, where anyone can come and learn 2 songs, and then they will perform them in the concert that evening with the choir.
Anyone wishing to be part of this concert or to hear the choir singing should visit the Medina Community Choir website for tickets and details.
Seems to me that anyone doing something for charity is now more likely to be doing it as much for their fulfilment. IF anyone really wanted to help they could be sponsored for doing useful yet less glamorous stunts such as clearing up an old person garden or home. Seems more about getting recognition for doing something that the so called charity workers would have done anyway and likely some even cream off aid to fund part of it. Though not likely if a vicar
Maybe just trying to get closer to God.
I’m reluctant to knock anyone raising money for Mountbatten but I think you’re right, it does seem a little excessive to fly all the way to central Africa to raise money. It does beg the question as to how much the trip is costing and does that come out of the money raised? And, even if it doesn’t, the cost of fares, accommodation etc could have gone to Mountbatten if the vicar had fundraised here in the UK.
Encouraging 10 or 20 more of her parishioners to do Walk the Wight would have gone a long way to raising this amount but I guess that’s a lot less glamorous than being able to tell people you’ve climbed Kilimanjaro.
Getting a climbing holiday in tanzania under the guise of charity – which means a justification for spending a load of donations and church money on hotels, plane tickets and climbing kit.
if she really wanted to simply raise money for the hospice, she would donate half her salary from the church and that would be £20k raised easily – nothing need be said – “she should not seek recognition for her good deeds and only find the recognition in the deed itself”
I have actually done Kilimanjaro. Its not as hard as you might be lead to believe.