AN East Brent student is preparing for the trip of a lifetime as she attempts to raise funds for poverty-stricken communities in Kenya.

Alice Wright, 20, is planning to travel to Tanzania in August for a sponsored climb up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the charity Dig Deep.

Alice told the Weekly News: “I’m excited and a bit nervous to be honest.

“I know it will be a massive challenge but I’m really looking forward to it.”

The University of Manchester student said she decided to undertake the challenge after reading about the charity Dig Deep on the internet.

The organisation works to improve the water supply and sanitation in rural Kenya where there are 16.5million people without access to safe water and more than 30million people without access to adequate sanitation.

She said: “I read about the work the charity does in Kenya and I really just wanted to get involved.

“I’ve never done anything in the past like this so it was completely new to me and I just want to try to help as much as I can.”

Alice will be travelling to Kilimanjaro with a group of six others who she hasn’t yet met, and the expedition will last 16 days.

She will be covering the cost of the trip herself so all funds raised will go directly to the charity.

She said: “The aim really is to raise as much money as possible.

“I’m looking into the idea of corporate sponsorships so I’ll be approaching local businesses in attempt to raise as much as I can for such a fantastic cause.”

Anyone individual or business wishing to sponsor Alice can do so by visiting mydonate.by.com/fundraisers/alicewright1 or email alice.wright@student.manchester.ac.uk