Five London cabbies have joined together as a fundraising group called “Cabbies Do Kilimanjaro” on a year long mission to lose over 25 stones before climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The cabbies volunteer for The Taxi Charity for Military veterans and want to raise £20,000 to support the work the charity does to support veterans.
Roshan Varma, 49, says of the challenge:
“I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember and setting a goal to climb Mount Kilimanjaro after losing five stones came from my sister, a nutritionist. I sent out a tweet to get some more unhealthy cabbies to join me in losing weight and climbing Kilimanjaro and the response was fantastic. The idea to get healthy and raise £20,000 for the Taxi Charity has really caught everyone’s imagination and we are overwhelmed with the support we have received to help us achieve our targets.“
All working London cabbies, the group has come together to change their own lives by losing weight and getting fitter while changing the lives of veterans by raising much needed funds for the Taxi Charity.
Brian, Roshan, Darren, Paul, and John are the fantastic five and they all have very personal reasons for participating.
Brian Heffernan, age 53, 22 years a cabby
“ I’ve driven many miles for the charity, I’ve jumped out of a plane for the charity, I’m now going to climb for the charity”
Roshan Varma, 48, 4 years a cabby
“I’ve seen my mum lose one son. I don’t want to see her lose another”
Darren Parr, 52. 14 years a cabby
” I love my grandkids and unless I do something drastic now, I won’t be able to catch them”
Paul Watts, 52, 26 years a cabby
“Time for a positive change, raise money for a great cause and a massive personal achievement “
John Dillane, 54, 6 years a cabby
“I have two young sons who need me to be active. It’s now or never”
You can follow their progress on twitter @cabbiesdokilli
To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cabbiesdokilimanjaro
About The Taxi Charity
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was formed in Fulham in 1948, to work for the benefit, comfort and enjoyment of military veterans and arranges many trips every year for veterans from all conflicts.
The charity offers international trips to Holland, Belgium and France, day trips to concerts or museums, transport to attend fundraising events, as well as special days out to catch up with friends and comrades.
To fund and facilitate these outings, the charity is wholly reliant on generous donations from members of the public, businesses and trusts and the amazing group of London licensed taxi drivers who offer their time and vehicles for free.
To find out more about the charity or to donate visit the website http://www.taxicharity.org/.
Twitter @TaxiCharity
