A Worcester Park woman is part of a team of ten who will take on a challenge to climb Kilimanjaro this month.

Charlotte Haylock is part of the all-women team from Cox Automotive who will set off for Tanzania on February 24, scaling Africa’s highest peak over a six day period, before returning to the UK two days ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Charlotte and her team will climb to almost 6,000m (19,336 ft) above sea level and face temperatures ranging from 20 degrees during the day to a possible -20 degrees at night.

Charlotte said: “When this opportunity came up I thought it was too amazing to miss, so even though I’m not a typical outdoor type of girl I decided to go for it.

“I’m motivated to do it for my children, I want to show them that anything is possible and make them and my close family and friends proud.

“I’m also looking forward to making friends for life with my amazing team and paying the prefect tribute to International Women’s Day.”

As well as promoting equality, the climbers have taken the opportunity to support Cox Automotive’s charity partner, Wooden Spoon in raising more than £15,000 in sponsorship for disadvantaged and disabled children in the UK.

Alison Fisher, HR Director at Cox Automotive, said: "The automotive industry is traditionally seen as a man's world, and at Cox Automotive we want more women to consider a career with us.

"This year, International Women's Day will encourage people across the world to #pressforprogress, and sending an all-female team to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro is a powerful symbol of what women can achieve."

Michael Buxton, CEO of Cox Automotive said: "We know that a diverse workforce can really help to drive success for an organisation, and improving gender equality is a hot topic in the UK automotive industry."

"The Kilimanjaro climb is part of our commitment to shining a light on the drive for diversity in the automotive industry. We're incredibly proud of our climbers, and look forward to celebrating with them at our International Women's Day event on 8 March 2018."