Five people from  national estate and lettings agency Northwood are set to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro at the end of September to raise funds for the Northwood Foundation.

The Northwood Foundation was set up in honour of Nick Cooper, the former managing director, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on 22 August 2013.

Each year the Foundation will support a charity that the full Northwood network of over 500 people will raise funds for.  This year’s chosen charity is the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, whose mission is to fund world-class research into the disease leading to the development of a test for the early detection and diagnosis of the disease and more effective treatments.  Just three in every 100 people diagnosed will live beyond five years.  This is the worst survival rate of any common cancer and has barely improved in forty years.

Northwood have set themselves an ambitious target of raising £20,000 by 2015 to coincide with its 20th year anniversary of trading and it is hoped that the climb up Africa’s highest mountain will help reach that goal.

In preparation of the seven day hike up Mount Kilimanjaro, the ‘Northwood Five’ which includes Gemma Goodson, CEO; directors Nick Harris, Stuart Calvert and Stephen Summerhayes, and Bristol office team member, Jack Honeyford have begun their intense training with a trek up Wales’s largest peak, Mount Snowdon.

Goodson said: “We’re determined to meet our target of £20,000 by 2015 for the Northwood Foundation.  We have been getting ready for the climb with a trek up Mount Snowdon which many would see as a challenge in itself.  We’re hoping that the property industry and public will get behind us and donate to the worthwhile cause, which is a fitting tribute to a man that gave so much to the industry.”

Northwood will be working closely with the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund founder and CEO, Maggie Blanks, to ensure they make the most of their charitable activity.

A Northwood Foundation Just Giving page has been set up and donations can be made there or by texting either £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070using the code TNCF99.