Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks is to embark on the trip of a lifetime when he attempts to climb Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro.

Paul will be joined on the expedition in August by MEN deputy managing director Mark Rix, Dave Healey of the postal department and four other local men.

They are raising money for the paper’s Kirsty’s Appeal which aims to raise £5m to safeguard the Francis House children’s hospice charity.

Paul told HoldtheFrontPage: “Mark dragooned me in to taking part!

“We’re already in training – I’ve been going to the gym twice a week and I’ve been doing limited cycling to improve my breathing.

“We’ve done a number of Lake District walks – we’ve been up Helvellyn and Scafell Pike, and in the Pennines – and we will be going up Snowdonia.”

Paul said one of the most daunting aspects of the challenge was not knowing how he and the rest of the team would react to the altitude sickness.

He said: “I’m pinning my hopes on the less fit you are, the better, because then your body doesn’t need as much oxygen! I don’t think you have to be super fit to do it, but it’s a big personal challenge.”

The MEN trio have already secured two sponsors to cover the costs of their kit and flight, but they are still looking for a sponsor of the land costs which includes funding the guides to take them up Kilimanjaro.

Paul said he would be taking a laptop, digital camera, video camera and satellite phone to ensure MEN readers were kept up-to-date with the team’s progress on a daily basis.

He said: “I’m going to be writing a daily diary that will cover the period of the seven or eight days that it will take us to go up and down the mountain.

“I’ll be writing articles for the paper and dispatches for the website, trying to get as much local coverage as we can.”