A Keighley student will be on top of the world when he completes his own personal Millennium project this summer.

Matt Wood is planning to celebrate 2000 by trekking to the roof of the world in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for disadvantaged children.

And the 22-year-old, who is studying architecture at Portsmouth University and is currently on a placement with Saltaire-based architects Halliday Clark, is now busy preparing to ascend Africa's highest mountain in June.

The ten-day adventure will take Matt and a group of other fundraisers from around the country to the summit of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, almost 20,000 feet above sea level. His efforts will help disadvantaged youngsters enjoy holidays they otherwise would not have taken.

Matt, who lives in Oakworth, has already had to fork out several hundred pounds to finance the cost of the trip but is already raising a further £2,200 for charity.

The sponsored trek up Kilimanjaro is being organised by the Youth Hostels Association with proceeds benefiting the development of hostels and the organisation's Give Us a Break scheme which helps provide children and young people with holidays and educational visits.

In a bid to help him reach his £2,200 target, Matt is writing to request sponsorship from businesses.

And he is also planning his own Three Peaks challenge later this year which will see him trying to reach the summits of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell - the highest peaks in Scotland, Wales and England - all within 24 hours.

Looking ahead to his summer challenge, Matt said: "I decided to do the Kilimanjaro trip as a kind of challenge and adventure for myself for the Millennium.

"But it's for such a worthwhile cause as well - children are our future and if we can give those who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it a holiday or short break then that's really important.

"I've done quite a bit of travelling before but never anything like this - it's going to be really hot and you need lots of injections - so I'm training hard, walking in the Dales, swimming and running.''

YHA spokesman Sue Tunnicliff said: "We set up the Give Us a Break scheme ten years ago and aim to help some 2,000 children a year.

"We launched it because we found there were some members of school or community groups organising hostel breaks that just couldn't afford to go and it's precisely those youngsters who really need to get away, join their friends and gain from what is a very valuable experience.

"It is invaluable because some of those we help have, for example, never seen the sea before, been in the countryside or seen bunkbeds in hostels.''

l Anyone wishing to sponsor Matt's bid to conquer Kilimanjaro should contact him on (01535) 648157.

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