A Welwyn man is planning to climb the highest mountain in North Africa to say thanks for the lifechanging support he received from the local Salvation Army.

William Hartley, who lives Old Welwyn, found himself struggling with loneliness, anxiety and depression in early 2019 after leaving full-time education and he started work as a delivery driver.

But he found a new support network with the Salvation Army, which gave him a sense of community and allowed him to find a new purpose in life.

William said: “More importantly than the support they gave me, I witnessed the support others received from The Salvation Army. I have volunteered with the Sally Army to deliver food parcels to people living in poverty, provide help and encouragement to people with drug/alcohol addictions, provide food and shelter for the homeless, supervise during holiday clubs for children and lunch clubs for older people and provide transport to safehouses for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.”

This year, he decided to go further than the local Salvation Army hall and instead has chosen to trek to the highest point in North Africa, Mount Toubkal - which reaches 12,700ft above sea level - between Wednesday August 3 to Monday August 8.

He said: “I am not a particularly fit guy and this will be the first time I have done anything like this, so it may be quite a challenge for me."

He is hoping to raise as much money as possible for the charity, as his JustGiving page explained: “This once in a lifetime adventure will allow trekkers to take on the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and summit its highest peak. The funds raised by trekkers will be directed towards the Salvation Army's work with homeless people and the victims of human trafficking.

“The Salvation Army meets the immediate needs of people who have to sleep rough or on the streets. A number of our life houses offer emergency accommodation to people who have nowhere else to stay. The accommodation is safe and secure and the staff on duty are available to support the individual through the night.”

To donate to his fundraising efforts, see justgiving.com/fundraising/willhartley