A Bury funeral director is swapping her top hat for a thermal helmet as she prepares for a charity trek up one of the world’s tallest mountains.
Heidi Ramlaul, who works at Paul Williams Independent Funeral Directors in Whitefield, is raising money by climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest single free-standing mountain in the world.
Heidi, 48, was inspired to take on the challenge in memory of her brother-in-law Ste “Rammy” Headley, who passed away in January last year, aged 50.
Dad-of-four Ste worked for many years for Royal Mail as a postman and then became a well-known and popular bus driver on the 471 Bury to Bolton route.
He was an "amazing" dancer and liked all kinds of music but as a teenager he embraced the hip hop craze in the 1980’s and 1990’s – and was well known in Bury for carrying his piece of lino over his shoulder.
Heidi said: “This readiness to entertain gained him ultimate respect across the community which was not easy for a young black lad in those days.
“Ste was a true gentleman. He was very charismatic, but a quiet man.
“He was non-judgemental and treated everyone the same. He was passionate about people.
"He once queued for one and a half hours to buy a homeless person a meal for example.”
Heidi booked her Tanzania trip in March 2021 and says "family-man" Ste’s compassion for those less fortunate than himself is what inspired her to scale new heights in his honour.
Heidi is raising money for two charities in Ste’s memory, one supporting the homeless and the other a children’s’ charity.
The mum-of-three said: “Half the funds raised will go to Middleton-based homeless charity Cold Hands Warm Hearts; and the other to the Manchester Children’s Burns Camp who help child victims of fires.”
Heidi has paid for the trip to Africa herself and all the money she raises will go to the charities.
"Undaunted" Heidi will begin her 19,342 ft trek from base camp at the mountain next year on Thursday, February 11 and estimates the hike will take her seven days.
She began hiking a few years ago after a friend’s father was diagnosed with cancer and has since raised more than £5,000 for charities helping to fight the disease, including by completing three mountain marathons in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland.
She has also achieved the triple crown of reaching the British summits of Snowdon, Ben Nevis, and Scafell.
In preparation for her latest challenge, Heidi is spending most weekends climbing mountains all over the UK.
She added: “I just wanted to do something to make Ste proud. He was always interested in my walking and encouraged me.
"He was physically fit and wanted to take up the pastime himself.”
Heidi will be travelling to Africa alone but will join an organised trek on Kilimanjaro with walkers from around the world.
She is being supported on her mission by her husband Paul, who is also known as "Rammy", and her three sons Kyle, 21, Ellis, 20, and Spencer,1 5, and members of Ste’s family.
She is collecting donation to Heidi's fundraiser here.
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