TWO trips to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a world record breaking rugby game and £140,000 in charity fundraising led to Ade Cunliffe being awarded the Pride of St Helens Special Achievement title.

Presenting the award, Graham Wall, Solarking UK's CEO, said SPF (Steve Prescott Foundation) trustee Ade was a "stand-out candidate".

Graham said: "It is a very special achievement - to have climbed Kilimanjaro twice, first in 2013 then again in 2015.

"Ade put together a team of 16, which grew to 38, and so far they've raised £140,000."

Ade, 41, said everything he has done has been driven by the memory of Steve Prescott.

He said: "I knew him at college many years ago. When I later read about what he was going through, something changed in me.

"At the time, I was 16-and-a-half stone, a couch potato. Now I'm the fittest I've ever been and I'm a better person spiritually, mentally and physically because Steve Prescott was part of my life."

He explained the idea for the rugby match came about when he heard about a cricket club that played a game on Kilimanjaro.

"If a bunch of cricketers can do it, I thought, then a gang of tough rugby league players definitely can," he joked.

Seven people at the awards ceremony who'd taken part in the game joined Ade on stage.

The challenge involved playing a full 80-minute game at 'Crater Camp', 5,700 metres above sea level, before climbing to the summit at 5,895 metres.

Town retailer Chris O'Dea, who was one of the expedition members, said: "It was such a privilege doing this - it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. I've found mates for life. We're all in awe of Ade and what he did."

Before leaving the stage, Ade's announcement of his plans to climb to Mount Everest's base camp in October 2016 received a round of applause.

He said: "We are going to go and climb Mount Everest to base camp, flying out on October 11 or 12. Fifteen of the 38 that climbed Kilimanjaro have committed to coming.

"We can't rest on our laurels, awareness still needs to be raised."

So far the team's efforts have raised more than £140,000 and proceeds have gone to SPF causes the Christie Hospital in Manchester, Try Assist and towards research into multi-visceral transplants in Oxford.