AN electrical retailer sent a team member to trek to

Everest Base Camp in aid of mental health charity MIND.

Andrew Clarke from Abbey Appliances, Evesham flew to Nepal and joined a small team who negotiated the mountain for around two weeks in order to reach base camp at18,209f.

They started from Lukla in the Khumbu Valley where he trekked for 5 to 6 hours each day at increasing altitude to reach camp.

Mr Clarke was joined by local Sherpas along the way as the trail passed through several Sherpa villages and the famous Sherpa capital, Namche Bazaar.

MORE: "Please don't cut back our beautiful trees" says Worcester woman

Mr Clarke said: "There were times when I would wake in the night with a feeling of suffocation because of the altitude and that was the biggest obstacle, really.

"It was all worth it when the team got to base camp though - the euphoria was indescribable. It was definitely a life-changing experience."

Mr Clarke spent 12 months training for the experience in order to build his fitness and stamina for the trip.

The campaign has currently raised nearly £13,000 for MIND since they started fund-raising at the beginning of last year.

Mr Clarke chose to complete his trek in aid of Mind as 1 in 4 of us in the UK will experience some form of mental health issue in the next year.

To donate to the campaign visit justgiving.com/fundraising/abbeyappliancestrek

Abbey Appliances are also celebrating having won the 'highly commended' award in the Best Customer Service category at the annual IER Award Ceremony in London earlier this year.

The IER (Innovative Electrical Retailing) is a national industry magazine and the awards are extremely prestigious within the domestic appliance sector.

Major brands such as Smeg, Beko, Hoover, Whirlpool, Bosch were nominated this year as well as independent electrical retail businesses from across the country.

Company director Lyn Knight said:

"We have built a business over the past 25 years that we are so proud of and to be recognised with an award at such a prestigious event in the domestic appliance industry is phenomenal - we are thrilled."