Tracey Byrne will climb great heights next week as she climbs the highest mountain on the African continent in aid of a charity close to her heart, HIV Ireland.

The busy Mum of four also works as a therapist in the heart of Dublin’s City Centre, where she runs her own thriving practice.

Tracey has been a volunteer with Gay Switchboard since October 2015 as a member of their training team and a co-facilitator of the Married Men’s Group (MMG).

This will be Tracey’s second time hiking up Kilimanjaro with this year marking the 20th anniversary of her brother’s passing.

“As I do a lot of voluntary work I was just going to focus on just the challenge ahead but decided because this year is also the 20th year since my beloved brother Richard’s passing from HIV related illnesses I would like to raise funds for the incredibly hard-working folks at HIV Ireland. I am keen to tackle the stigma surrounding HIV and those who are Positive, having this and other conversations to me is vital in an ever-changing and growing Ireland.”

Tracey leaves Dublin this Friday, September 7 and the climb will take approximately six days.

We all wish Tracey the best of luck here at GCN Towers!

If you can support her journey she has set up a Go Fund Me campaign here. Tracey said, “if you can’t afford to donate, please feel free to repost this on FB, Twitter and Instagram.”

What HIV Ireland Does

Established in 1987, Dublin AIDS Alliance Ltd is a voluntary organisation working to improve conditions for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Dublin AIDS Alliance Ltd is now trading as HIV Ireland.

They operate under the ethos of equality and are committed to making a positive contribution to a humane and just society. They strive to ensure that their staff, volunteers and service users are treated with dignity and respect at all times and to create and environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination.

Part of the world of HIV Ireland is to work towards reducing the prevalence of HIV in Ireland through effective prevention strategies and to increase public awareness and understanding around HIV and AIDS and to reduce the stigma and discrimination connected with HIV and AIDS through campaigns such as U=U.

To find out more about HIV Ireland, visit their site.