Music helps James up a mountain
4:26pm Sunday 13th July 2008
A DISABLED Basingstoke man is set to climb a Tanzanian mountain - thanks to a little help from a kind-hearted Basingstoke student.
Forty- three-year-old James Bridges, of Copland Close, Brighton Hill, who suffers from a crumbling disc in his spine, leapt at the chance when Andover-based disabled charity Enham offered him the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, if he raised £5,000 for the charity.
Helping him reach his target amount has been Basingstoke College of Technology music student Joshua Blendz.
The 21-year-old student, also from Copland Close, said: "James sent letters round all our houses asking if there was anything he could do in exchange for money for his trip, and I thought 'I can't let him do that - I've got to do something to contribute'."
The singer-songwriter, who is halfway through a National Diploma in music technology at BCOT, raised £30 during a half-hour set in between the college's end-of-year fashion show.
Touched by Joshua's help, Mr Bridges said: "You hear a lot about what young people get up to and it's great to hear something completely opposite - if he was my son, I'd be very proud."
Through donations from friends, businesses and a few bric-a-brac sales, the soon-to-be mountaineer has managed to raise £4,200 and added that when all sponsorship money is collected he should have over his target amount.
Mr Bridges - who jetted off last weekend - will spend a fortnight in Tanzania with a team of nine disabled people and nine carers, who have all been kitted out with equipment by outdoor specialists Blacks.
He said that since having a series of injections before Christmas to soothe the pain, his spine has been a lot better, and he has recently started a job in the kitchens at The Hatch, in Old Basing, which is also making a donation to Enham.
Speaking about the adventure ahead, he said: "I'm so excited. It's the first time I've ever had a passport and the first time I've been on a plane, so I'm a bit nervous about that!"