The generosity of others

"Donors don’t give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people
in whom they believe" - G.T. Smith

 

It's been a good week with regards to sponsorship. As promised my colleagues have been generously donating since we got paid on Monday and I am delighted to say so far I have raised £245 with another £85 pledged. Once my sponsorship form is completed and all monies received I will be delighted to send a cheque for the total amount off to WaterAid! It means so much that those I work beside have the faith in me to succeed and I truly appreciate their support!

Sitting at my desk today I was drawn to my calender and suddenly realised I am heading to Peru in 36 weeks, so to reach my target of £3995 I really need to raise £111 each week until then so I am thrilled I am currently on track! Over the next few weeks some of the events ideas I have will hopefully begin to take shape and I'll let you know what's planned. First off though is a cake bake at work on 14th February, naturally with a Valentine's theme! I look forward to donning my apron and digging out the heart shaped cookie cutter ;-)

Also at work today a colleague told me trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu himself a few years back and highly recommended it! It was exciting to hear his tales but the stark reminder that I will be camping high in the Andes where night temperatures can fall below freezing was worrying! Clearly, it's not called a Charity CHALLENGE for nothing! Thermals and a extra warm sleeping bag will be going on the shopping list pronto!

This evening my very good friend Laura dropped by for tea and amongst other things I filled her in on my fundraising plans etc. We ended up digging out my old photo album from the Great Wall of China trek and it really reminded me of why I am doing this challenge. Naturally it's a daunting prospect heading into the unknown, especially on my own, but the friendships I built in China are still with me and I am sure with like-minded people the same will happen in Peru! I was inspired tonight to re-watch the video I made after completing my Great Wall of China trek - http://sassie09.blogspot.co.uk/ - feel free to watch it yourself, you never know it may just inspire you to doing something life-changing!

Sx

First donation gets the ball rolling!

Hello everyone!

 

Apologies for the lack of posts this last week. I have been suffering from an impacted wisdom tooth and not been in great shape! Fortunately I feel much better today and have an appointment to get the offending tooth out soon!

 

So what has been happening since I last wrote? Well the most exciting piece of news is I received my first donation on my JustGiving webpage on 15th Jan, from my lovely Dad. Subsequently the generous security officers at my work emptied their pockets in support of my challenge and donated a fabulous £40 between them. A big thumbs up to them! Quite a few of my work colleagues have advised they would be delighted to sponsor me after payday, so hopefully from next week funds will be building up! Remember you can donate anytime at http://www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013  and if you are a UK tax payer Gift Aid can be applied :-)

 

In terms of fitness I have been at the gym a few times and tried a Pilates class for the first time every last week. I really enjoyed it and plan to incorporate it into my training plan as it will really build my core strength and increase my agility, which will come in handy in the Andes! I'll be like a mountain goat! ;-) Unfortunately I felt I had to cancel my planned hill walk on Sunday with the Sunday Brunch Club as I was in a lot of pain with said tooth but look forward to joining the club for future walks in the future. In addition to the gym I think it is important I clock up as many miles as I can on the hills to get to grips with varying ascents and terrains. Charity Challenge have also sent me a training schedule in the post so I need to seriously map out my action plan for the next 9 months!

 

On a final point for tonight I have received my second raffle prize in the post!! The lovely people at the National Trust for Scotland have kindly sent me a year's membership for 2 people, worth £84!! The lucky winners will enjoy free entry to over 100 properties for 12 months, ranging from historic castles and gardens, to spectacular nature reserves and state-of the-art museums. Definitely a prize worth buying raffle tickets for! Thank you NTS!

 

 

Sx

 





WaterAid's Vision

I received an exciting package in the mail yesterday - leaflets, posters, sponsorship forms, a newsletter and a T-shirt from my contact at WaterAid, Lucy Cover. Lucy has been so helpful since our first telephone discussion and I really appreciate her enthusiasm for what I am doing, thanks Lucy!

 

Reading through the information received, has made me even more determined to raise as much as I can for WaterAid. Their vision is a clear one - to create a world in which everyone has access to safe water and sanitation but it is easier said than done. Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. Access to safe drinking water has improved over the last few decades in almost every part of the world, but approximately 1 in 10 people worldwide still lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation, roughly 2/5ths of the world's population. Water-related diseases kills 2,000 children every day. Diarrhoea kills more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined! These statistics are frightening, especially when we in the west take clean, running water for granted. The average person in the UK uses 150 litres of water every day. My concern earlier this evening as I ran my bath was not if I had enough water but if it would be hot enough after doing the dishes!

 

Safe water and sanitation are basic human rights. Everyone should have access to them. By supporting me on my "Walk for Water" you will help transform the lives of many. Just think £5 could buy a bag of cement to make a latrine slab in Ghana, £12 could buy 2 taps for a village water point in Nepal, and £20 could train 4 handpump mechanics in India or pay to rehabilitate a village water point in Bangladesh! Every penny counts, make a SPLASH and donate today!

 

Sx

 

~ Statistics taken from WaterAid leaflets received Jan '13.

First Raffle prize received :-)

Good evening readers!

 

This week, on top of work and the usual social shenanigans, I have been brain storming ideas for fundraising activities and started to write to local companies in the hope of securing either sponsorship or raffle prizes. Two events I plan to hold in the coming months are a quiz night (with raffle) and an online silent auction. I met with one of my best friends Ali last night and we talked about possible venues for my quiz night and how to go about organising it so as soon as something is booked I will let you all know! In the meantime I am on a quest for raffle prizes and was delighted to receive a letter in the post today from "The Royal Yacht Britannia" containing a family pass for a visit to Her Majesty's yacht, berthed in Leith. A big thumbs up to them for their generosity! I am sure the winners of this prize will have a great day out!

 

 

                      

 

 

Also this week I have rejoined the gym and worked out a rough training plan, although I have booked a free session with a personal trainer next week to get an actual plan made up which will help me reach my goals. Not only do I need to improve my stamina and fitness I need to consider the fact that I will be hiking at altitude, +4000m some days so I really need to be as fit and healthy as possible. If I am entirely honest the prospect of going to the gym or doing any kind of exercise really fills me with dread but as soon as I am there and the endorphins kick in I find I actually enjoy it! Can't ever see myself as one of those people who manages the gym before work though I have to say!

 

Sx

Old Mobile phones wanted!

Well now my blog is up and running and my deposit paid to Charity Challenge the hard work beings!

I have lots of ideas for fundraising events over the next few months but many of them depend on the generosity of local businesses to provide free venues and auction items/raffle prizes etc. As soon as I get headed paper from WaterAid I will start writing but in the meantime I have thought of another way to raise money: Mobile phone recycling!

There are an estimated 60-90 million mobile phones lying around homes in the UK, unused and forgotten about. Let's have a clear out, help the environment and raise funds for WaterAid all at the same time! Any brand of mobile, on any contract can be recycled and damaged and broken phones are also accepted. Every phone can make a difference!

I will then send all mobile phones collected to one of the online organisations such as 
www.forgottenmobile.com/mobile-phone-recycling-for-charity.php
and pay any money raised straight into my JustGiving account :-)

If you would like to donate your old mobile please drop me a line and we can arrange for it to be sent to me or you can give it to me personally if you prefer. Please wipe your phones of any personal data before donating!

Just Giving Webpage launched

Just a wee update to let you know I now have a Justgiving webpage up and running.

Just click on the link - http://www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013

and please spread the word!

Sx

The Challenge is ON!

Hello again! Since Sunday I have spent hours pouring over websites and travel guides and getting advice from my travelling buddies on FB to help me decide which company to complete the challenge with and which to route to opt for. For a few years I have held the idea of trekking the Inca Trail to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu but I was unaware of all the options available to the trekker until now! I am only going to do this once so I want to get it right and get the most out of it!

Finally today I made my decision! I will go in October as that gives me enough time to get fit and hopefully raise my target amount plus it will be the 4 year anniversary of my last charity trek and it seems like a good way to mark the occasion! I have also decided to go with the organisation"Charity Challenge" - partly on word of mouth and partly because their trek appears to offer a bit of everything! Instead of following the Inca Trail directly, Charity Challenge offer a unique alternative far off the beaten track which will allow me to glimpse real Peruvian life. Not only will I meet Andean farmers in the valleys and spot herds of Llamas & Alpacas but I will get to meet the local communities and visit one of the local schools supported by Charity Challenge! Away from the tourist trail I will be able to interact with the locals and see them practicing their local traditions and farming techniques and see the authentic Peru! Then as the Trek continues we will join the route on the classic Inca trail and continue to Machu Picchu through the famous Sun-gate!

So what, I hear you ask, exactly is the challenge? Well ..... I will be walking for 5-9 hours a day, uphill, through the Andes, at altitude to reach the "lost city of the Incas" in a bid to raise thousands for a fantastic charity. The traditional Inca trail leading to the sacred city of Machu Picchu is just 45km long but I will be doing much of the Lares route in addition. During the trek altitudes of 4200m are reached, so ensuring that I am well acclimatized is  vital! It is not going to be easy, thousands of feet up, in thin oxygenated air, it's tough even for the fittest ,so I will have my work cut out for me over the next 10 months getting my fitness levels up. In addition I will be travelling on my own, having to make new friends and getting used to camping in the wilderness! So much of this challenge is out of my comfort zone but as a wise woman (Rona ;-)) recently noted on Facebook - "Life beings at the end of your comfort zone". This will be a true test of endurance but the rewards will be stunning and if Denise Van Outen and Fearne Cotton can do it, then so can I!

Photo from http://world-travel-advisor.com

Wateraid - why I have chosen to support this charity

There are a number of Charities which are important to me and for personal reasons would merit my support, but over Christmas WaterAid's TV appeal really affected me. There are still 783 million people worldwide without access to clean drinking water, something more of us take for granted. *Every day children all over the world are faced with a stark choice: drink dirty water or die of thirst. It's a choice no one should have to make". Clean water should be a basic human right and by raising money for this charity we can help save lives.

You can watch their recent TV ad here: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bm8l82OX6Ek" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

"WaterAid is an international non-governmental organisation focused exclusively on improving poor people’s access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. They work in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region and campaign globally with their partners to realise their vision of a world where everyone has access to these basic human needs.Together with improved hygiene, these basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods, forming the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.

They work with local partners, who understand local issues, and provide them with the skills and support to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their real needs.They also work locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure water, hygiene and sanitation’s vital role in reducing poverty is recognised".

For more information, please see: http://www.wateraid.org/uk/

Just £15 can give the life changing gift of clean water to one person. See what else your donation could provide:

· £12 can buy two taps for a village waterpoint

· £20 can buy 25 metres of pipe

· £46 can buy a family toilet

· £50 can buy a handpump

· £60 can buy a rainwater collection jar
· £100 can buy a soap making business for two people

Please help me to work towards a world where everyone can have access to clean, safe water

Sx

2013 - A new challenge in the pipeline!

Hi, my name is Sarah, I am a 30 year old Scot, living in Edinburgh and always looking for the next adventure. In my freetime I am passionate about helping those who are less fortunate than me. One of my most successful profects to date was trekking the Great Wall of China in aid of “The Scottish Society for Autism”. With this New Year upon us I have decided this is the perfect opportunity to raise much needed funds for another charity close to my heart - "Wateraid", and to embark on another personal challenge - Trekking to Machu Picchu.

In 2009 I raised £3958.00 through donations, sponsorship for the Great Wall Trek and events, such as a ceilidh, a Bodyshop party and a Quiz. I have not forgotten how much time, effort and commitment such a feat took but the success of the challenge and the contribution I made to such a special charity made every minute worth it. I am hoping to replicate or if I may be so ambitious, surpass this figure! Through my blog you will be able to keep up-to-date with my fundraising and training progress. I know those who are kind enough to sponsor me and/or support my events will want to know I am working hard for their money and this blog will record that journey! I hope you will enjoy reading it and be encouraged to dig deep!

Best wishes for the year ahead,

Sx