A MALVERN couple are visiting the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru to raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Paul Rostance, aged 39, and Kathryn Scully, 32, will be flying out to South America in November to trek to the mysterious city high in the Andes mountains and want to raise £6,500.

The couple, of Elgar Avenue, decided to make the voyage to celebrate Mr Rostance’s 40th birthday in October.

He said: “We wanted to do something special, and we’d already taken part in a Santa Run in Walsall for Acorns, and then we heard that Acorns was organising this trip to Machu Picchu.”

Mr Rostance said he’d been reading The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, a novel which tells of the search for an ancient manuscript in Peru.

He said: “That got me interested in Peru, so when the chance came up to visit Machu Picchu, we jumped at it.”

Originally the trip had been scheduled for October, and they would have spent Mr Rostance’s 40th birthday in the ancient city itself, but the visit was subsequently postponed a month.

“That was a bit disappointing, but the main thing is that we're going,” he said. “It will be hard work, we’ll have to acclimatise to the high altitude but it will be worth it.

“We’re really looking forward to standing there, to seeing the views and feeling the special atmosphere of the city.”

They have been training by walking on the Malvern Hills and have also been raising money at car boot sales, and they are welcoming sponsorship from local people.

To sponsor the couple, visit justgiving.com/teams/katan dpaulinca or contact katandpaulinca@ hotmail.co.uk