Raised so far: £2,562.00
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My story

 
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am raising money for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation.  Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty.  Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer of all. It kills a man every hour in the UK, and the number of cases is steadily rising. 

My father was diagnosed as having an advanced form of prostate cancer.  He only went to the doctor because my Mum had played bridge, during which her friends had warned of the precautionary wisdom of obtaining a PSA test.  Thankfully, the cancer was caught in time.  With surgery, most of the cancer was removed and the remaining inaccessible stump remitted using radiotherapy.  He has regular checks now and he is fine.  But only by the grace of God, an NHS system that responded so quickly and a remarkable timeliness of that game of bridge.

Very little is known about the disease.  But we do know that speed is key.  Had we known then what we know now, my father’s recovery would not have relied so heavily upon chance.  The Prostate Charity Research Foundation http://www.thepcrf.org.uk/ is attempting to ensure that we all know more. The charity funds the independent worldwide research into the causes of prostate cancer, and shares that research to prostate cancer specialists from around the world.  It is the same website that Bob Monkhouse posthumously supports.  

And now I am looking to support the same charity.  Like many during this credit crunch, I am being asked to take a two-week sabbatical in order that the firm may minimise redundancies.  I see this as an opportunity that I shall make the very most of.  I have always been in awe of the Himalayas. Eight of the world’s fourteen peaks that exceed 8,000m in height are situated in the Nepalese Himalayas. The highest of them all, standing at 8,848m, is Mt. Everest.  I recall as a child reading my father’s first edition of Edmund Hillary’s account of his trip with Tenzing Norgay on the 29th May 1953 and that childhood wanderlust has never been cured.

I won’t go quite as far up Mt. Everest, but this will be an amazing experience.  It is a trek that starts at Lukla from where we shall trek through the lush valleys of Sagarmatha National Park, with time to explore its villages and monasteries, to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. We shall be spending some time around there to acclimatise to the altitude, following the trail across numerous rivers, valleys, peaks and plains. Our trek will eventually lead to Thyangboche, from where we shall make the final push to our goal of the glacial floor and sunlit valley that is the Everest Base Camp. If we have any energy reserves we can aim for the highpoint of Kalapathar (5,647m) with breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and glaciers including Mt. Everest.

I have paid for this trip myself, so I can promise you that every single penny of your money, together with all tax recovered through GiftAid, will go to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation

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Thank you.

Alastair

Well done. Donation by Tony Wright 24/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done! Donation by Lorraine Mussett 24/11/09  

Well done - a cause very close to my family's heart Donation by John Hunt 24/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Well done you! Such a great achievement Alastair. Donation by Chelsea Walters 24/11/09  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Hope you enjoyed it! Donation by Brendan Keane 18/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Hope it's going well! Donation by Juliet Stradling 18/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Great effort Alastair. looking forward to the congratulatory drink on your return. Donation by Joy & Matt 16/11/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Donation by DAPHNE HAIG 15/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Go Alastair! Donation by Rachel Gibson 12/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Anonymous 10/11/09  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

And all I've done is cease shaving for Movember - pathetic really! Donation by Andy Barrett 10/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck! Hope it's going well. All for a great cause. Donation by Stuart & Ele Thorn 09/11/09  

£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid

Al, Slightly mad endeavour but worthwhile - bring back all your extremities! John Donation by John Hanley 09/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Hey this is a great idea Alistair. Am sure you will have an inspirational time- will think of you. Natalia x Donation by Natalia Thorn 07/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Al... Donation by Mark Oliver 06/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck, Al! Make sure you drink plenty of hops-based fluids to keep you going. Donation by Julian Bailey 06/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Fantastic! Donation by Caroline Cummins 06/11/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck you!! Really good cause. Please just take care!! hehe! Donation by Ali Cooper 06/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Makes the three peaks seem a bit pathetic ... good luck! Donation by Jonathan Dames 06/11/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Donation by Maxine Cupitt 06/11/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

What an amazing thing to do. Best of luck. Donation by Amy Petersen 06/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

You are mental. Bon chance! Donation by Kate Terry 06/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Kate Terry 06/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck Alastair! Donation by Liam Hart 06/11/09  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Good luck Al. Don't forget your thermals. Donation by Adrian Bell 05/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck! Have a great time Donation by Chris Fletcher 04/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Bonne chance Donation by Adam Pierson 03/11/09  

Good luck! Donation by skin 02/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck on your adventure Donation by Olivia Quaid 02/11/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

My daddy may look like a yeti, but can you try and get a photo of the real one for me? (No self portraits please!) Love Rose xxx Donation by Rose Hawker 31/10/09  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £2,562.00
  Offline donations: £0.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £720.64

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