A RIBBLE Valley woman who scaled Africa's highest peak to help combat multiple sclerosis hopes to have raised thousands of pounds for charity.

Nicola Chew, 29, who suffers from the condition, climbed 20,000ft-high Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the MS Society to continue its research into a condition that attacks the central nervous system.

Nicola, from Longridge, enlisted the help of her sister Rebecca, 22, and the pair travelled to Tanzania for the trek of a lifetime at the end of January.

The sisters reached the summit in seven days and completed the whole adventure in 10 days. They hope to have raised around £8,500 in sponsorship from the trip.

Otherwise fit and healthy, Nicola was diagnosed with MS in April last year after feeling a numbness in her arms and hands.

A former pupil of the town's St Cecilia RC High School, Nicola left Longridge two years ago and now lives in Preston and works there as a graphic designer.

Nicola's sister is a health care assistant at Royal Preston Hospital and lives with their parents Leslie and John in Preston Road.

The sister's trek was organised through Charity Challenge, a national organisation that sets up fundraising events.