ALL SET … Student Rachael Cooper, a finalist last year in the Miss Scarborough contest, is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity 090136

Rachael Cooper, 20, will brave the highest freestanding mountain in the world to raise money for ChildReach International.

She now needs to raise £2,200 for the trip to Tanzania in August.

Rachael, who is studying broadcast journalism at Leeds University, said: “I’m really excited and can’t wait. It looks amazing. “The trip is for three weeks but climbing the mountain takes six days. For the rest of the time we visit projects that benefit from the money that’s raised.”

To raise the money, Rachael has written letters to local companies and is planning a range of activities including non-uniform days at Scarborough schools and bag-packing at shops.

Two years ago, Rachael, of Avenue Road, took a gap year and taught maths, english and sports in Swaziland, South Africa in a neighbourhood care point for children who couldn’t afford to go to school.

She then went to Accra in Ghana for two months to work on journalism projects at the local newspaper and radio station.

Last year’s Miss Scarborough finalist added: “I’ve always wanted to go back to Africa and I’m a bit more prepared this time because I know what to take with me.”

She will make the trip with about 30 people and many of them are from Leeds University.

The charity, ChildReach International, which was founded in 2003, works with communities in some of the poorest regions in the world.

To sponsor Rachael, visit www.justgiving.com/rachaelcooper2