Leicester City Club Secretary Andrew Neville successfully completed his Mount Kilimanjaro climb last Friday after a challenging eight day ascent. Andrew decided to scale the heights of the Tanzanian landmark to raise money for the Harley Staples Cancer Trust, after being inspired by 8-year-old Harley last year.

City players, management and staff got to know Harley, who had a rare and very aggressive form of leukaemia called Burkitt lymphoma, in September 2009.

The young City fan remained remarkably cheerful despite regular treatment and his family nicknamed him ‘Happy Harley’. A mascot for the Blackpool game, Harley also trained and had lunch with the players at the training ground, and became an inspiration to everybody at the club.

After Harley lost his brave fight against the illness in November, the Staples family set up the Harley Staples Fund to raise money for the children and families on Leicester Royal Infirmary’s Ward 27, and any child with a potentially life threatening illness.

All the money Andrew has raised and will continue to raise will go towards a caravan for ‘Happy Harley’s Holiday Homes’, a site in Cromer where families in a similar situation to Harley’s can spend some quality time away completely free of charge.

Speaking exclusively to Soar Magazine ahead of his climb, Andrew paid tribute to Harley’s family.

“They’re a lovely, lovely family, not just Harley’s mum and dad, but the whole family. They’re fully supportive of my challenge. The fund itself maybe gives them something else to occupy their minds, and gives them a bit a motivation during what must be a very, very difficult time.

“The more money I can raise the better. It’s not a football club thing but you can use the powers of football to help to raise money.”

Anybody wanting to sponsor Andrew or donate to the cause can still do so by visiting www.harleystaples.co.uk.

See below for photographs of Andrew’s charity trek…