Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hi everyone</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks for visiting my just giving page.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As many of you know I will be cycling along the Danube Way from Donaueschingen (from where the Danube starts in the Black Forest in Germany) to Vienna, a distance of around 1,000km from 16-24<sup>th</sup> June with a few friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you have asked me whether I intend seeking sponsorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I thought of just enjoying the ride (and the aches and pains which go with it!), but when some of you also offered to make a charity donation for my efforts, you convinced me that it would be a good opportunity to raise some money for causes that are special to me.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, as you may know I spent nearly four years working as a Volunteer (VSO) Town Planner in Malawi many years ago now (1978-1981) – Malawi is one of the world’s ten poorest nations with high levels of infant mortality, one of the highest rates of AIDS infections and with malaria, bilharzia, TB and other diseases prevalent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it is also one of the most beautiful countries I have visited and the people are very welcoming – not without reason is Malawi known as the ‘Warm heart of Africa’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst in Malawi I spent a lot of time working on development projects along the shores of Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest lake (uniquely it measures 365 miles long by 52 miles wide!), and where the local people live from subsistence agriculture and fishing, but suffer from malaria, bilharzia and other water borne diseases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many areas along the lakeshore are inaccessible by road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few years ago the Chauncy Maples Malawi Trust<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was set up to renovate the Chauncy Maples, the oldest ship in Africa (built in 1899) and to bring her back into use as a hospital ship to provide free health services to the 2 million or so people who live around the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have therefore chosen to support this rather special and ambitious project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to every pound raised, not only will it be topped up by Gift Aid, but the Malawi Government will also match every pound raised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their target is to raise £2m and so far they have raised just over half that amount.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finish with a local Malawian saying– ‘Suffering is nothing so long you live’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well hopefully my few days of suffering on the saddle will in return help to ensure a little less suffering in the local village communities along the shores of Lake Malawi.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for your support.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Geoff </span></span></p>
<p> </p>