A SALISBURY volunteer is stepping up to complete a climbing challenge to raise money for children living in extreme poverty in Nepal.

Gwyn Davies is one of a group of five volunteers taking part in a virtual climb of Mount Everest.

They will be climbing 58,070 stairs at home between them to raise money for charity, Kidasha.

Each volunteer will be taking on 11,614 stairs - the equivalent of around 774 flights of stairs - before the timer runs out on Saturday, June 13.

The climb will replace Kidasha’s annual charity trek through Nepal’s Annapurna range, which normally raises crucial funds for the charity.

Due to government-enforced lockdowns in both the UK and Nepal, the charity’s supporters have decided to get creative with their fundraising efforts.

Gwyn said: “Kidasha is a small charity that has been described as one “which punches well above its weight.” As such, it has been even recognised by, and gained financial support from our own government.

"It undertakes extremely valuable work to help children in desperate poverty and neglect, and I’ve seen with my own eyes how the lives of these children are transformed - not just in the short-term - through the opening up of opportunities for future education and employment.

"It’s because Kidasha is such an effective and well-organised charity, doing such important work, that I’ve become an ardent supporter. I hope that others will give us their support during these difficult times by making a donation.

"I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Kidasha’s annual charity trek last November, where I raised over £1000 for the charity. As one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope with coronavirus or the knock-on economic impact, and their most vulnerable communities need all the support we can give.

“That’s why I’m so keen to take part in this exciting fundraiser. The lockdown has had many of us feeling somewhat helpless, so it’s encouraging to know that we can still make a huge difference from home.

"Climbing over 700 flights of stairs will certainly be a challenge, but I can’t wait to get going.”

The funds raised from the climb will go to support Kidasha’s emergency appeal for the funds needed to fight the devastating impact of Covid-19 in Nepal.

To support Gwyn’s fundraising efforts, click here.