A MAN who once hoped he would not live to see his next birthday is now preparing to climb Africa’s highest mountain to raise money for the rehabilitation centre he says saved his life.

Jon Cooper, 27, from Motcombe, is taking on Mount Kilimanjaro in October to support Clouds House.

“At the height of my addiction, I was in constant emotional and physical pain. I was lost and didn’t know where to turn,” he said.

“I was burning bridges with people who loved me and wanted to help. I was lying, stealing, and completely consumed by funding and feeding my addiction. I didn’t care about the hurt I was causing. I didn’t care about anyone but myself.”

Jon would stay awake for 10 to 12 days at a time, drinking and taking drugs around the clock.

“Before I entered Clouds House, I was hallucinating. I could barely walk. I was having manic episodes and losing feeling in my fingers. I knew I was slowly dying – and part of me wanted that.”

One night, while drinking and using, he broke down thinking about his sister, who had died from an accidental prescription overdose.

“That’s when I knew, looking back, how powerless I had become. Even the love I had for my sister couldn’t stop me. That was my rock bottom.”

Founded in 1983, Clouds House in East Knoyle has been rebuilding lives for more than 40 years.

Clouds House.

The centre provides residential addiction treatment in a safe, private and confidential setting, supporting people to address not just substance misuse but the complex trauma and mental health struggles beneath it.

“Quite frankly, I believe I would be dead if I hadn’t walked through those doors when I did,” Jon said.

“From day one, I felt seen and not judged. I was surrounded by people who understood addiction not as a moral failing, but as an illness – and that changed everything.”

Now more than a year into recovery, Jon is giving back.

He will begin his Kilimanjaro climb on October 4, reaching the summit on October 10 to mark one year and six months clean.

“When I reach the summit, I’ll be standing above the clouds. But long before that day, it was Clouds House that lifted me out of the darkness and gave me the chance to rebuild my life.”

He is funding the climb himself so that every penny raised will go towards supporting the centre’s work, helping others access life-saving treatment.

“Recovery is possible. I am living proof of that,” he said.

“You are not alone. Addiction isolates you. Recovery is possible. A different life is possible. And it starts with asking for help.”