The Kilimanjaro Challenge - January 2012

To express your interest for similar events in the future, please click here.

At 5,895m (19,341ft), Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Throughout history, it has evoked awe and fascination and is internationally renowned for the challenge it presents to all those who attempt to reach its summit. On 12 January 2012, our Blood, Sweat & Compassion team took on this notorious challenge and changed lives by doing so.

Who benefited?

Each year, thousands of students graduate from Compassion's Child Development Programme. Among them are a number of young leaders who aspire to continue their education in order to become agents of change for their communities and nations, yet lack the resources to do so.

Compassion's Leadership Development Programme (LDP) identifies outstanding students and provides them with an opportunity to attend university and receive Christian leadership training to develop their intrinsic leadership skills. Each LDP student is selected according to a set of strict criteria - including academic achievement, Christian commitment, demonstrated leadership skills and a willingness to serve.

Meet the students: Our team directly supported these students as a result of their commitment to this amazing experience and helped to raise up tomorrow’s leaders.

The Challenge Team:

Jacqui Hance

I climbed my first 'mountain' when I was 2. It was Catbells in the Lake District. Over 40 years later I am honoured to be able to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as part of the Blood, Sweat and Compassion Challenge team. My name is Jacqui Hance and I work at Ascension Church Balham Hill in South London alongside my husband who is the Vicar. We have three children and they are all very proud of me for attempting it, and will be cheering me on from the relative warmth and comfort of our London home.

Read More




Richard Gregg

RIchard is 41 years old and lives in Dartford, Kent and has supported Compassion for many years now and is excited to be able to join the team in January for the Kilimanjaro Challenge. He would normally only travel up a mountain by cable car, so this will be a personal challenge as well as an amazing opportunity to support the important work Compassion does for it's LDP students.

Read More




Joe Henegan

I work for Compassion UK and I manage the Compassion UK & Ireland Blog as well as our Facebook, Twitter and Youtube channels. You can follow my progress before, during and after this amazing opportunity at the blog - blog.compassionuk.org. I'm 24 years old, married to an amazing woman called Vanessa and I am thrilled to be a part of the team trekking up Kilimanjaro on 12 January 2012.

Read More




Helen Fisher

Hi, I am Helen. I live in Chesterfield, North Derbyshire and I am a children's Speech and Language Therapist. I go to St Chad's Church in Sheffield, where our God's Gorgeous Girls group made this great poster of a Compassion mountain, and my small group have given me lots of encouragement to join the Blood, Sweat and Compassion challenge. Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro with Compassion will be an exciting and life changing experience, and I am trusting God's promise to strengthen my frame (Isaiah 58 v 10 - 11) to get me to the top!

Read More




Hilary Swift

Hello! I work for Compassion UK in the Church Partnerships Team and am amazed to be preparing to climb Kilimanjaro in January to raise money to enable four outstanding Kenyan students fulfil their true potential. I am married to the most encouraging and supportive husband in the world (he needs to be!) and have three daughters and one and half grandchildren. Usually the most energetic thing I ever do is to walk from shop to shop up Guildford High Street, so to take on the highest freestanding mountain in the world is completely terrifying and totally mad! Just now I’m trying to shake off my customary indolence and get out on the Surrey Hills – not exactly Kilimanjaro but it’s a start!

Read More




Dawn Tarrier

I'm Dawn, a Londoner now living in West Wales. When I applied to for the Kilimanjaro Challenge I hardly dared to hope that a woman of my years would be accepted, so I was thrilled and excited to be accepted as a member of the Team . As the Challenge approaches, my emotions fluctuate between incredible excitement for this opportunitty of a llifetime to absolute terror as I start the training programme I need to engage in such an undertaking.

Read More




Christina Kaiser

I work for Compassion International, located in Colorado, USA and I work on social media projects and Compassion’s global online community, OurCompassion.org. I was born and raised in Germany but went to high school and university in Florida. I moved to the state of Colorado about two years ago.

Read More




Brian Gorman

I served in the Merchant Navy for 12 years then became a landlubber and joined the Police Service, from which I retired some three years ago. I live in Cumbria, between the fells & the coast so am very fortunate. My three children have flown the nest & my dog, Grommit (the dark hairy one in the 'photo!) died a few weeks ago so with no ties I made the decision to apply for the Kilimanjaro trek. The March trip was fully booked but fortunately there were places on the the January one. The congregation of the Church I attend are really enthusiastic & supportive as they sponsor several children with Compassion uk.

Read More




Stephen Richardson

Hi my name is Steve, 50 years old from Market Drayton, Shropshire.My wife Susan and I have been involved with Compassion for 10 years.

Read More