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China Challenge 2010.

What : Charity Trek on and alongside the Great Wall of China - approximately 42 hours trekking over 6 days.

When : October 2010.

Who : Margaret Skea  (50-something  Grannie and foster-carer)

For : The Fostering Network.

 

Me trekking? Yes you read this right!

As many of you will know David and I have been fostering for some years now and are constantly moved by the stories of the kids that we encounter and they are just the tip of the iceberg. - On any one day in the UK there are more than 51,000 children in foster care, as well as many others recognized as vulnerable and likely to require a placement. The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading charity for everyone involved in fostering. Recent heart-breaking cases have shown how crucial it is for fostering services to be able to provide high quality placements in sufficient numbers to meet these needs.

The Fostering Network supports children in foster-care and those who care for them by providing information, advice and training, by actively campaigning to challenge and change policies, whether of Government, Local Authority or Fostering Agencies and by working with agencies to recruit and retain the carers that are needed. We have had some difficult experiences and can promise you that the work of the Fostering Network is really valuable.

Their direct work is reliant on donations and taking part in the China Challenge is one way that I can help in raising the necessary funds to enable them to change children’s lives.

As you can see from the photo,(more to come, hopefully) the Great Wall runs over the tops of mountains and even where it is well-paved the going will be tough, especially for someone like me who’s normal walking extends as far as my stairs. Parts of the trek, where the wall isn’t in good condition, add the challenge of rough terrain (not to mention the scary drops!) to the incline. There is a suggested 16-week pre-trek training programme, which I will be beginning in June, building up to walking for eight hours a day on consecutive days. Given my current state of fitness (or lack of) I have already started pre-training training!

My aim is to raise £2850.00. (Of which £2250 must be raised by July 22) If you can help, you can donate here and the money will automatically be transferred to the Fostering Network. If you are a tax-payer please remember to tick the Gift Aid box and to provide your home address.

Whatever you can give will be valuable in helping to make vulnerable children’s lives better.

 

Thank you so much,

 

Margaret