Brighton and Hove Albion fan to climb Kilimanjaro with 19 other bereaved men in memory of son who died in Afghanistan

Efrem Brynin, from Pulborough, set up the StrongMen bereavement charity after losing his son, James, in 2013.

Brighton and Hove Albion named their supporter of the year award after James, who was an avid fan of the club.

With 19 other men, Efrem will be looking to raise awareness and funds for the charity with an epic challenge at the highest mountain in Africa – and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world. So far, more than £17,500 has been raised. Click here to donate.

Efrem, the charity’s CEO and co-founder, said it is the group’s biggest adventure to date.

He said: “Climbing Kilimanjaro has been done before but maybe not on this scale. We've got 20 bereaved guys – people who have lost children, partners, parents and siblings.

"The idea was to mark our fifth anniversary by doing something different. For us going to Tanzania is a massive step up.

“We wanted to do something inspirational. Everything we do is about climbing – be it a mountain or a hill.

"No one really talks about death but it's one thing that is guaranteed.

“We try to educate people that it's not a taboo subject. A lot of the time, it's nice to talk about someone you've lost because it keeps their memory alive."

Efrem took part in the second series of SAS Who Dares Wins in 2016.

He was welcomed onto the Amex Stadium pitch at half-time during the match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanders on Wednesday (September 18).

He spoke about the challenge and the work the charity does – and a short film about grief, produced by the charity, called Climb Your Mountain. was shown on the big screen.

“There's a big association between the club and James as he was an avid fan,” Efrem said.

"His best mate through the army is a Wolves fan so it felt like a nice game to be at.

"They were both in the Championship when they were in the army. Brighton were promoted after James died. That is a shame but it's the way it goes. I'm a grandfather now so James would have been an uncle.

“We've always had a good association with the club, they've been fantastic towards us.”

Efrem said the charity supports hundreds of men every year and spends up to £30,000 each month.

He explained: “We are aiming to fund the services in 2025, so we need more people to know about us.

“We help guys who have lost people to murder and road traffic accidents, addiction and suicide – unexpected deaths – but traditional and expected deaths can be equally traumatic and impactful.

“We support those guys in our own individual way by providing services that are unique to men. We take groups of guys to climb a mountain, to do zip wiring, canyoning, have a BBQ, go to the pub.

“It's getting people with similar experiences in a room to support each other. We give empathy and understanding. They don't know each other before they turn up but they do by the end of it.

"We run a volunteer peer led support service called man to man. We have a counselling service called Extra Time. They are cheesy football puns but they work.

"Not everyone wants to go outdoors every day or climb Snowden or Kilimanjaro.

“They can have peer support or counselling but we need funding. We take the burden like most charities to do.”

Efrem said the charity gets referrals ‘on almost a daily basis’ from the NHS, social services and the probation service.

"These enormous organisations don't have anywhere to go and waiting lists are so vast. We try to offer specialist support a lot quicker if we can.

“Awareness is important. We do great work – we save lives. Loss and bereavement leads to severe emotional and mental health challenges. We are trying to raise £40,000 and it's achievable.”

Efrem admitted he is nervous and has a sense of apprehension about the Kilimanjaro climb.

"If you’re not nervous, there's something wrong with you,” he said.

"Ironically, someone has reached out to us after losing someone on Kilimanjaro. They died on the descent down. This brought it right home.

"Fitness wise, I'm fine, I keep myself fit. Most of the other guys have got decent fitness. We just don't know how the altitude will impact us.

“We had training at the altitude centre in London, which was great. They give you results to make sure you are preparing the right way – hydration and diet. Alcohol is a really bad thing for altitude so we have to stop that.

"We are all really looking forward to it. It's going to be a life memory. It’s a really good group of guys.”

Efrem said those taking part in the challenge in October will likely ‘hit a wall at some stage’.

He added: “There might be tears and tantrums but we are all doing it with particular people in mind.

"When those difficult moments come, that will hopefully inspire them to continue and get to the top. We will all do it together.

"My main concern is if anyone doesn't make it. If the altitude takes them, it could be me - who knows. I hope and I pray we all make it and if we do that would be amazing.”

To find out more, visit https://www.strongmen.org.uk/kilimanjaro/. If you would like to make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/climbyourmountain.