DETERMINED fundraisers have braved sub-zero temperatures to reach the ‘Roof of Africa’ and raise about £7,000 in memory of a much-missed mum.

Dougie Cameron and daughter Laura-Jane were joined by seven other men and women in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro last week.

The trek was the latest fundraiser in memory of Vera Cameron and in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Laura-Jane said that her mum would have thought the fundraisers were “off our heads” but would be “really proud” of their achievement, which takes the fundraising total to about £70,000.

She said: “It was a really tough challenge but the fact we were doing it for charity kept us going.

“At the end of the day, it was for such a good cause and we wanted to get to the top and keep the sponsorship going.

“The whole experience was totally different to what I expected.

“Being over seven days, we have never done anything like that before and it was tough mentally and physically.

“We had one goal – to get to the summit – and we ended up making lots of new friends and spent a lot of time with other groups.

“It was a really good experience overall.”

Vera, of Macmerry, worked for East Lothian Council as a senior administrator in transportation.

Dougie, who is site attendant at Kinwegar Recycling Centre in Wallyford, was joined by seven colleagues from the council on the memorable trip.

Laura-Jane, 29, and her dad set off from Scotland on January 24 alongside Ray Montgomery (project manager), Paul Ritchie (HR business partner), Lorraine Faulds (senior facilities officer), William Kelley (senior business support assistant – customer services), Stuart Baxter (Musselburgh Area Partnership manager), Rachael Cormack (leisure assistant at Haddington’s Aubigny Sports Centre) and Vanessa Sanal (facilities service manager).

The group began the trip up the near-6,000-metre-high mountain on the Saturday and reached the summit last Thursday.

Then it was back down before flying home on Sunday and back to work on Monday.

Laura-Jane, who works as a PR officer, said it was “surreal” to think that just a few days earlier she had been standing at the top of Kilimanjaro.

Already, more than £5,000 has been donated to the good cause, with that figure set to rise to £7,000 when all the money has been donated and counted.

Previously, fundraisers have completed a number of other challenges – although nothing on the scale of the latest achievement – in memory of Vera, who was 55 when she passed away from cancer in 2012.

The West Highland Way, which stretches from Milngavie to Fort William (96 miles), and the Three Peaks Challenge, which sees the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon respectively – climbed have been completed.

Laura-Jane, who lives in Tranent, said: “I think my mum would think we were off our heads for doing what we have done but really proud of us. We are keeping her memory alive and raising so much money for a really good cause.”

To make a donation, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/vera-kilimanjaro