A PERSONAL assistant is taking on her own personal challenge – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Anne Toone and her colleague Dalya Bernstein at OneE, a tax consultants, will be leaving their desks behind to spend six days trekking the highest peak in Africa.

The pair are raising money for four charities – Reuben’s Retreat, Age UK, Cancer Research UK and Claire House.

Anne, of Meadow Walk, Astley, said: “We wanted to do something for charity after we heard about a lady who rowed the Atlantic. We decided we should do something but we didn’t want to row the Atlantic.

“Kilimanjaro was something we both wanted to do and it seemed like challenge. Normally we aren’t allowed to have time off work together as we are the two PAs for the directors, but the company has been really supportive and is helping us out financially too.

“We have been going out every weekend to climb as many hills as possible, but the difficult bit is going to be having to climb all day and then get up the next day and do it all over again.”

Anne, aged 48, and 33-year-old Dalya are seeking people who would be willing to lend or donate sub-zero trekking or camping equipment and have already received a £500 donation from Windoworld in Maghull. Travel company DialAFlight has donated a flight and has also offered to donate half of the profit made from flights that mention OneE when booking.

The pair will fly out in early July and are hoping to raise £10,000. Visit uk.virginmoney giving.com/TeamOneE