A paediatric nurse from south Bucks took on an epic challenge with her father to achieve a “lifelong dream” of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, raising tens of thousands of pounds for charity in the process.

Danielle Cox and father John, from Princes Risborough, took on a six-day trek of the highest mountain in Africa, raising more than £12,000 for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families with children with life-limiting or terminal illnesses.

The duo said training for the challenge included weekends spent climbing in the Welsh mountains to test their equipment, adding that nothing prepared them for the weather conditions or sense of achievement they enjoyed when they reached the summit earlier this year.

Danielle said: “Getting to the top of Kilimanjaro was amazing and the view was beautiful – it is something I will never forget.

“Our leader Darren made sure we all got to the top safely. He was brilliant and made sure we were all prepared before and during our trip.

“We also had amazing guides and porters without whom we definitely would not have reached the summit.”

Speaking about the charity, she said working with children with life limiting and terminal illnesses made her see first-hand “what a difference charities like Rainbow Trust make to children and their families”.

She added: “Rainbow Trust provides endless help and support to a large number of families and hopefully with the money we have raised it can continue to help more families.”

Emma Haines, the charity’s director of marketing and fundraising, said: “We are so grateful to Danielle and her father John for completing this incredibly tough challenge.

“Rainbow Trust relies almost entirely on voluntary donations so fundraising events like this help us continue providing vital support for families when they need it most.”