Kyle Raffo, the founder of Staffordshire garment decorator Embello, has helped raise more than £10,000 by reaching the summit of one of Europe’s tallest mountains.
He scaled the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps this month, making it to the 4,478-metre summit with a team including Darren and Jamie Lake from Pure Cloud Solutions which, like Embello, is based in Tamworth, plus a mountain guide, David Sanabria, and adventure blogger Marta Misztal.
The three men have between them now raised £10,812 for Help Us Help Others, with donations still possible through a JustGiving page.
The charity was founded by Darren Lake in 2016 to support people in the Tamworth area who struggle to get help elsewhere, which could include those with disabilities, life-limiting illnesses, medical conditions, equipment needs, or people who are facing social or financial crisis.
“This was genuinely one of the hardest things I have ever done and I still have the bruises to show it,” said 28-year-old Kyle.
“Technically and physically, this really pushed the boundaries. There were points where you had to jump literally into the air to reach a rope ladder and other times when I was hanging off the side of the mountain, with only the rope saving me, because I couldn’t get a good hold.
“I’m always up for a challenge and I’m passionate about supporting the community. We help local charity groups and organisations with various fundraising and grant opportunities through Embello, but it’s also something that is important to me personally.”
Embello, founded by Kyle over 11 years ago, specialises in workwear, branded clothing and promotional merchandise.
