NI Hospice to benefit from Joel's generosity

Joel Adair (26) will be jetting-off to Tanzania on Boxing Day to begin a charity trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

The Ballyclare man will be taking on the highest mountain in Africa to raise funds for the Northern Ireland Hospice.

Joel explained why he has decided to take on the daunting venture. He said: “It’s a combination of things. My grandmother, Adeline, passed away in 2013 after a short battle with cancer and since then I’ve been wanting to do something in her memory. I also love to experience new places and challenges, so being able to go to Africa and take on this mountain in her memory is great.”

The former Ballyclare High School pupil added: “I was keen to raise funds for a charity with local connections and having discussed several charities with my family, we decided on the NI Hospice. They’re such a fantastic organisation, helping thousands of people every year in very difficult circumstances.”

Joel, who works as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, will be travelling alone to London, before joining with a group of walkers to embark on the trip to Tanzania. He expects the trek to last six days and hopes to reach the summit in time to see the first sunrise of 2017, on the morning of New Year’s Day.

The keen walker is currently taking part in a gruelling set of practice walks to prepare for the challenge. He explained: “I’ve been trying to get out in the hills as often as I can. I go hiking in the Mourne Mountains every few week. I climbed Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike in September to gauge where I am physically. It’ll no doubt be a tough slog getting up Kilimanjaro, with the added issue of the extreme altitude, but I’m up for the challenge.”

Joel has set up an online donation page. He is covering the costs of the trip himself, with all of the money raised going to the NI Hospice. To make a donation, go to www.justgiving.com/Joel-Adair1