A FOOD bank volunteer has climbed the highest mountain in Africa raising over £25,000 for a new van and more.

Josh Mitchell said climbing the 5,895m high mountain was a ‘life-changing experience’ as he watched the sun rise from the summit.

“I was very fortunate, I didn’t suffer from altitude sickness, so for me, it just felt like a long walk up the most amazing, scenic mountain I’d ever seen in my life,” the 32-year-old said.

“It was phenomenal. The views at the top, watching the sunrise.

“I was the first person to reach the summit that morning, at 5.40am, so it was pitch black just as I arrived at the summit, and then literally that second the sun started coming up, so that was really cool.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Josh has volunteered at Poole Food Bank for more than a year and summited the mountain on September 10.

Since he began volunteering, demand has risen by more than 77 per cent.

As a result, the charity needs a new van to deal with the increase and Josh set out to raise funds to buy one.

Josh said the response to the fundraiser had been ‘incredible’.

“I’m absolutely humbled by the generosity of lots of people that I know,” Josh said.

“The amount of money has really surprised me, it’s a really big amount.”

Josh originally aimed to raise £15,000,or the van alone, but the extra money will help the food bank as it moves its food store to a new location.

Gill Payne, manager of Poole Food Bank, thanked everyone who supported the project by donating to Josh’s fundraiser.

Gill said: “Josh is one of our amazing volunteers who drives the Poole Foodbank van, collecting food from supermarkets and delivering it to our satellites for distribution to those in need. He recognised the financial demands on the project and volunteered to raise funds for us by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.

“We are unspeakably grateful to Josh for his successful climb and to everyone who donated funds in support of this incredible challenge.

“Funds raised will be used to purchase a much-needed larger vehicle for transporting food and to complete the move to the new location of our food store.

“Thank you to everyone who supports this amazing project.”

To donate to Josh's fundraiser, search for Joshua Mitchell on GoFundMe.