A MAN from WGC will embark on the biggest challenge of his life later this year – to raise vital funds for a youth charity.

In October, Sean Nicolson will travel to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in order to raise �3,000 for Central Herts YMCA’s Space project.

The 26-year-old gas engineer decided to support Space, which provides a variety of services for people of all ages from its centre in WGC, after recollecting his own life growing up in WGC.

Sean said: “Space is a great place, I wish it was here when I was a teenager.

“I grew up in WGC, and it’s not like I come from a bad background, but it (WGC) is quite older-generation orientated. A place like Space gives kids somewhere to go.”

Space first opened in Church Road in May 2008, as a one-night-a-week community centre for young people. As its popularity grew it extended its services to five nights a week and added daytime drop in services for adults, bereavement counselling and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

In June this year, Space was awarded �450,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, and a second Space based in Hatfield is scheduled to open later this year.

Sean got the idea to climb Kilimanjaro for charity after watching a group of celebrities – including WGC beauty Alesha Dixon – climb the summit in aid of last year’s Comic Relief.

“As soon as I watched the celebrities do it, it made me want to do it instantly,” said Sean. “I thought if I’m doing something that big, then I may as well raise some money for charity.

“I remembered Space, and just looking into it I realised it was perfect. They’re about to get another centre – the timing couldn’t be better.”