Neston man Bob to hit heights

Mar 12 2008 by Staff Reporter, Neston News

A PENSIONER is to climb 80 mountains in 80 days as part of a charity challenge.

Eighty-year-old Bob Forrester has already raised almost £8,000 in donations and pledges for WaterAid.

The keen fell walker from Neston will tackle peaks in the Lake District and North Wales after Easter and hopes to raise even more to bring clean water and sanitation to poor people in Tanzania.

Bob said: “I’ve always been fit as a fiddle. I’m going to try my very best to achieve this.”

His daughter Kate has been working with aid agencies in the East African state for 14 years.

Bob continued: “Kate has seen many examples of communities suffering from lack of this most basic of facilities. Diarrhoea and dysentery are killers – it’s shocking.”

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world where 70% of the rural population has no access to safe water. In some areas, women and children spend up to seven hours a day collecting water.

Bob added: “The number of children dying before their fifth birthday is rising in Tanzania.

“Any contribution, however large or small, will be most welcome. The more money we raise, the more people we can help.”

For more information or to donate, call Bob on 336 4294 or visit www.justgiving.com/bobforrester.