An adventurous Ottery pair aim to raise £5,000 for three charities close to their hearts by scaling the heights of Kilimanjaro next year.

JP Williams, proprietor and chef at the Lamb and Flag, and local businessman Stuart Phillips, of Coverstructures and Tickety-Boo, are asking family, friends and the local community to dig deep to help them to reach their ambitious target.

The pair said the challenge began as a joke one night in the Lamb and Flag, with a mock contract drawn up by another customer in the pub. The next thing they knew, they had booked their place on the trek starting on January 27.

The money raised will be split between Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Lullaby Trust and Exmouth-based Pete's Dragons. The pair have personal connections with each of the charities.

The duo are taking the Lemosho Route, one of the longer routes for the climb, which takes eight days.

They will be facing four challenging climates along the way - tropical forest, a lunar type landscape of the Shira plateau, desert conditions and the cold of the mountain as they climb to the summit. Temperatures will range from 30C to -22C over the eight-day trek.

Mr Williams, who lost his sister to cot death, said: "The Lullaby Trust is raising awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as offering emotional support to families who have suffered bereavement. "When I was child there was no support and I wasn't able to grieve properly.

"Will we be successful? Well we may not be the fittest pair in the world, but we've both lost weight in preparation and we're training regularly to build up strength and stamina. If anything gets us it will be altitude sickness.

"But come hell or high water we believe we will make the top."

Mr Phillips added: "It was my wife, Becky, who suggested fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

"My daughter's best friend has cystic fibrosis. I knew she had it but until recently I didn't understand just how tragic the condition is."

Speaking of Pete's Dragons, Mr Phillips said: "It's shocking to realise that suicide is currently the leading cause of death for young men in England and Wales and that suicide rates across the world are at an all-time high."

Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JPWilliams to donate.

If any local business would like to support the pair they can email jpwilliams1370@icloud.com.