MORE than £10,000 was raised by three York adventurers who took on the challenge of climbing Africa's highest mountain.

Husband and wife John and Hilary Minford, from Heworth, and Jill Salmon, of Stockton Lane, had never met before setting off on the trip.

But six days climbing Mount Kilimanjaro along with 60 others gave them all plenty of time to get to know one another.

Jill, a learning support assistant at Lowfield School, Acomb, had wanted to do the trip, which was in aid of Scope, after working with children suffering from cerebral palsy.

She spent nine months training at the gym and walking in the Yorkshire Dales to get fit for the challenge.

To welcome her home, her husband, Ian, surprised her with a party on Friday evening attended by friends and family.

She said: "As well as welcoming me back it was a big thank-you to everyone who had put their hands in their pockets to help me."

Updated: 09:08 Thursday, March 06, 2003