A CWMBRAN goalkeeper has climbed the world’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, helping to raise nearly £30,000 for charity.

Richard Jeffries, goalie for Cwmbran Town AFC, reached the summit at around 7am local time on the morning of Friday, February 27.

29-year-old Mr Jeffries, from Cwmbran, was one of a team of 14 employees from accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers tackling the week-long expedition to the top of the mountain, in Tanzania, for charity Wellbeing of Women.

12 of the group managed to reach the summit, raising nearly £30,000 for the charity.

Wellbeing of Women is dedicated to improving the health of women and babies across the UK by investing in research projects and allocating funds towards the training of specialist doctors and midwives.

Mr Jeffries said: “Quite a few people have asked me why I decided to get involved. I had never heard of Wellbeing of Women, but my mother’s a woman and my sister’s a woman, so I felt I wanted to support it.

“As I entered my 30th year I resolved to push myself out of my comfort zone and learn what I'm capable of. When I was offered the chance to climb Kilimanjaro, I knew it had to be done.”

Following the ascent to Uhuru Peak, the “roof of Africa”, Mr Jeffries said: “Personally I had to overcome a particularly debilitating bout of man flu in the middle of the trip, so that was my own personal achievement.

“The most difficult thing though was walking all the way back down - I'm not sure I had contemplated quite how hard that would be!”

Mr Jeffries has raised £760 of his £1,000 target. Donations can be made at www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/richardjeffries1.