A TAUNTON woman is climbing a mountain in Africa to raise money for a cause "close to her own heart".

Peta Braisby, 21, is climbing Mount Toubkal in Africa to raise money for Papyrus UK - a national charity for the prevention of young suicide.

She knows many people have struggled with their mental health over the past year due to the coronavirus lockdown and so wanted to find a way she could help.

"There are millions of young people out there struggling with their mental health and I wanted to show my support for them by completing this trek," she said.

"People are lonelier now than ever before and it is becoming even more difficult to spot the early signs of suicidal thoughts.

"I wanted to raise awareness for a suicide prevention charity to encourage people to start conversations about mental health."

Peta will be flying to Morocco in December this year and will be there during her 22nd birthday.

She is set to return in 2022 once she has completed the winter Toubkal challenge.

With a fundraising target of £1,400, Peta knew she had to do something extreme, hence why she chose a challenge involving extreme cold at high altitudes.

She will be climbing heights of over 4,000m over five days in the Atlas Mountains.

Peta has a four month walking plan to prepare for the challenge, starting off small and ending with five consecutive days of eight hour walks.

"Those that know me will know I really enjoy my home comforts and I especially hate the cold which will make this challenge even harder," she added.

"Once lockdown is over and travel restrictions start to ease, I hope to do the bulk of my training on Dartmoor.

"I am also thinking about completing The Three Peaks as part of my training if I can.

"When lockdown is over there will be regular updates on my training progress and the fundraising."

To donate visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/peta-braisby.