Two care workers raised more than £14,000 for charity when they climbed Africa's highest mountain.

Jessica Mather and Cheryl Brodie, who work at Partnerships in Care in Borehamwood, reached the top of Kilimanjaro in Kenya.

After ten days away and seven days climbing, both women have returned having raised more than £14,000 for their chosen charities Young Minds, Maytree and The Refuge Project.

The pair took the Lemosho route, leading them through the Lemosho glades and Shira plateau to the 5,895m summit, which they reached by torchlight.

Miss Mather said: “Summit night was described by many people as ‘the best and worst night’ of their lives, with fatigue and a temperature of -30 at an altitude of 19,341ft. The air was extremely thin and everyone came together as a team to get each other to the summit.

“It was the most mentally, physically and emotionally challenging experience I have undertaken and hope that this will inspire and motivate people to achieve goals they may never thought they would be able to achieve.”

The opportunity for two staff from Partnerships in Care to take this opportunity of a lifetime was given to staff at the start of the year, with many showing an interest by sending in applications.

Mrs Brodie added: “This was a really intense experience with some wonderful highs mixed with some terrible lows. I was very very pleased to have had the experience and to get to the top. It was amazing and is an experience that will stay with me forever."

To donate to any of the charities chosen for this climb, visit Jessica Mather and Cheryl Brodie’s donation pages.