Hello.....Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page for the 2010 Hope Challenge. Here's the update!

We completed The Hope Challenge last weekend (11th-13th June), survived the 2 nights in our DIY shelter made out of recycled/scavenged materials, and had fun along the way.

Friday saw us arrive at 'base camp ' in the Edale Valley (Peak District), after what can be said was the first major challenge .... beating the UK motorway network on a Friday!!

The weekend theme was based around an unfolding hurricane disaster scenario and the work undertaken by Habitat for Humanity in this type of situation.  We constructed our shelter out of old building sheets, tarpaulins, plastic water pipes, old fence battens and held it together with miles of gaffer tape.  Friday night was really windy (mainly outside of the shelter) and I spent the night star gazing through the gap in the shelter above my head.

On Saturday morning we set off for the trek around the Edale Valley, with team challenges along the way. A couple of team members ' made comments' on the more steep (timed) sections, as apparently it was a surprise that the Peak District contains steep hills?!
We finished the trek mid afternoon and were then give additional materials to 'improve' our living acommodation; with our materials we built a cracking porch extension, and all it lacked was rocking chairs and hanging baskets.

On Saturday night we had some rain but the shelter proved mainly watertight ... again quite surprising. On Sunday morning we set off for a score orienteering event and then finished the weekend with a community task of creating a water supply together ( 80+ participants).

Our team finished the event 3rd out of 17 teams, and completed each event/challenge in the top three.

More importantly, we pledged £8,500 as the Bovis Homes team - enough for 7 permanent family homes, taking people out of real housing poverty and giving them hope of a better life. The weekend brought home to all of us how much we take our own homes for granted, and that having a home is more than just bricks and mortar.

The Hope Challenge raised over £70,000 for Habitat for Humanity.

Thank you again on behalf of the team and more importantly, on behalf of the families for whom you have made a home possible.

For future reference, the event is open to wide range of teams ...if you are interested in finding out more, let me know, or visit www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk.uk/hopehome [where you can also see all the results and photos].

Best wishes and once again - a heartfelt thank you.Kevin

So what's the charity.... 

Habitat for Humanity is a charity with the sole aim of ridding the world of poverty housing.  As part of this aim, it is dedicated to long term reconstruction and regeneration after natural disasters have struck - earthquakes and tsunami to mention a couple of recognisable ones. 

This year the focus is on Haiti - however, this charity is also continuing to help rebuild lives and homes after South East Asia's tsunami three and a half years ago.  When disaster strikes, communities are thrown into trauma - Haiti is still fresh in our minds now, but once the TV cameras are gone and the worlds attention moves on to something else, what happens then? 

This is the time that determines if the survivors will live in poverty for years to come, or will be able to rebuild their lives. These survivors have lost almost everything except their lives … their home, their belongings, their livelihood and even their family and friends are gone. They are now living in makeshift shelters, dependent on aid just to survive.

Habitat for Humanity is in it for the long haul

http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk

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