A executive from Ipswich Building Society will today be starting a challenge to travel 100km along Africa’s Zambezi River in aid of a local charity.

Jo Leah, the society’s general sales manager, and a friend, Libby Smith, also from Ipswich, will be travelling by kayak, canoe and raft to raise money for the Lighthouse charity which supports women and children facing domestic abuse.

Jo has already raised £800 in donations, with her final total to be match funded by Ipswich Building Society, and Libby has managed to raise a total of £1,900 so far.

Jo said: “Libby and I get a real kick out of pushing ourselves to the extreme to raise money for Lighthouse which does such fantastic work with women and families in Suffolk.

“This is our first challenge since we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010 but I’m sure we’ll find it just as challenging as we’ll spend five days navigating our way down the Zambezi River avoiding everything from rocks to crocodiles and hippopotamus.”

Paul Winter, chief executive of Ipswich Building Society, said, “Lighthouse has been providing safe and supportive refuge for women and families in Ipswich for nearly 40 years. I’m pleased the society can help Jo’s extreme fundraising challenge by match funding the donations she achieves.”

To make a donation, visit http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/JoLeah or http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/libbyzambezi .