A MOTHER of two from North Finchley is trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro for charity as a way of saying thank you after recovering from a life-threatening accident.

Heidi Stone, 47, of High Road, hopes to raise more than £3,000 to help children in war-torn countries by scaling the African mountain next February.

Ms Stone almost died in 2007 when she tripped on a flight of stairs in her home and landed head-first, breaking her neck.

She said: “I am very lucky to still be alive. In many ways this is like a thank-you. Life's too short and I want to give something back.”

Ms Stone had surgery at the Royal Free Hospital, in Hampstead, and has made an almost complete recovery.

The money she raises will go to the One to One Children's Fund, based in Finchley, which funds projects to improve the welfare of children affected by war, HIV and Aids.

Ms Stone said: “They do some fantastic work in countries torn apart by war. I was really moved by the programmes they're running.

“I'll get the chance to visit one of the paediatric clinics as well.”

Next Saturday, August 15, Ms Stone is organising Finchley's Got Talent at the Malt and Hops pub in High Road, North Finchley, to raise money for the trek.