Story
<p class="iphone-update"><strong><strong>MY CHALLENGE IS COMPLETE. NEARLY 400KM OF STEEP INCLINES AT ALTITUDES EXCEEDING 3500M. ONE FALLING OFF MY BIKE AND ONE PUNCTURE!!</strong></strong></p>
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<p><strong><strong>THIS WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE BUT I DID IT AND I AM VERY PROUD. </strong></strong></p>
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<p><strong>I AM PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP MACMILLAN CARING LOCALLY AND THIS WHOLE ADVENTURE HAS BEEN IN HONOUR OF ONE SPECIAL LADY - LYN BRITTON. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE WITHOUT ALL OF THE SUPPORT OF FRIENDS, FAMILY, WORK COLLEAGUES AND THE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT HELPED ~ THANK YOU!!!</strong></p>
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<p class="iphone-update"><strong>PHOTOS AVAILABLE VIA THE LINK BELOW:</strong></p>
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<p class="iphone-update"><strong><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/keiththomaswilkinson/AndesToAmazon1626September2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvc8uOGs-PVlQE&feat=directlink">http://tempuri.org/tempuri.html</a></strong></p>
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<p class="iphone-update"><strong>IF YOU LIKE THE PHOTOS AND WHAT I HAVE DONE THEN PLEASE DONATE SOME MORE!!!!!</strong></p>
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<p class="iphone-update">Updated on Sep 12th 2010 at 5:40 PM using the JustGiving iPhone app</p>
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<p>Just a few more days! Thank you again for your donations! Keep the money coming!</p>
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<p><strong>NEWS FLASH!! (Coming soon Pedal Peru the Movie)</strong></p>
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<p>11/09/2010</p>
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<p>Another £26 from the ongoing sales of School Tuck Shop goodies thanks to the massive amount donated!!</p>
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<p>Thank you to the residents of springbourne who drink in the Cricketers Pub who's collection pot raised another £39.75!!!</p>
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<p>08/09/2010</p>
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<p>Thank you to the staff of HM Revenue & Customs in Bournemouth who raised a massive £571.01 from our "Back to School" day!</p>
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<p>Funds were raised as follows:</p>
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<p><strong><strong>Raffle - £312.93</strong></strong></p>
<p><strong><strong> </strong>School Tuck Shop - £137.94</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sweets Quiz - £21.00</strong></p>
<p><strong>School Library - £10.00</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bacon Roll Sales - £39.00</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other donations - £50.14</strong></p>
<p><strong>(including uniform donations)</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong>Total for Day - £571.01</p>
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<p>Prizes included signed AFC Bournemouth Shirt!!</p>
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<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please donate as much as you possible can.</p>
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<p><strong>For updates on my fundraising and training visit my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keith-Wilkinsons-Pedal-Peru/100212000034354">Pedal Peru Facebook page </a></strong></p>
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<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
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<p>Last year, two good friends of mine who are sisters lost their mum to Cancer after a very long battle. I know this was a very difficult time for them but the support and care given by the staff at the Macmillan Cancer Trust Unit (now Macmillan Caring Locally) helped them to stay strong and gave them piece of mind that everything that could be done for their mum, was being done.</p>
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<p>I know of many people who have been directly or indirectly affected by Cancer and have decided to raise money for this locally based charity to ensure such a wonderful facility can stay available.</p>
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<p><strong>The Charity (Macmillan Caring Locally)</strong></p>
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<p>Please click on the link to the left to find out more about this amazing charity.</p>
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<p><strong>The Challenge</strong></p>
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<p>If you think it sounds easy then read on! </p>
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<p>My original thoughts were to climb Kilimanjaro but this is a bit common these days (and it's only about 5km after all) so I've opted to cycle across Peru from the Andes to the Amazon! </p>
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<p>This will involve cycling more than <strong>300km</strong> over several days at <strong>high altitudes</strong> and <strong>through steamy rain forests</strong>! I will covering around <strong>60km per day</strong>! More about my challenge can be found through the charity challenge website below.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.charitychallenge.com/expedition.html?id=1162">http://www.charitychallenge.com/expedition.html?id=1162</a></p>
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<p><strong>Funding</strong></p>
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<p>As I am paying from the trip myself (I have sacrificed driving lessons to pay for this so a few more years on the buses for me!) every penny that you donate will go to the charity! </p>
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<p><strong>Gift Aid</strong></p>
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<p>If you've paid tax on your earnings then the Government will give the tax you paid on the amount you donate to the charity. For more information visit the HMRC website at: <a href="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift-aid.htm">http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift-aid.htm</a> </p>
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<p><strong>Ten things you should know about me</strong></p>
<p>1) I hate camping.</p>
<p>2) I hate cycling up hills.</p>
<p>3) I am scared of cycling down hills.</p>
<p>4) I don't like insects.</p>
<p>5) I get very grumpy in the heat.</p>
<p>6) I get very grumpy in the cold.</p>
<p>7) I hate missing EastEnders.</p>
<p>8) Washing in a river does not appeal to me.</p>
<p>9) I will go mental if I can't find a MacDonald's in the Amazon.</p>
<p>10) My sofa is a very good friend of mine. </p>
<p>All in all this challenge should be quite tough but if I don't manage to complete it, then I am prepared to do a forfeit to ensure you get value for your money. Please make a suggestion when making your donation most common one wins. I am relying on this not happening! </p>
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<p><strong>Training</strong></p>
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<p>Well it seems to be working! I am now 2 Stones lighter and a good few inches less. I have traveled over 800 miles by running, cycling and rowing at the gym not to mention all the virtual spinning sessions which would probably add another 500 miles.</p>
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<p>I have shifted over 20 tonnes in weight over 13,000 repetitions</p>
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<p>I have climbed Snowdon. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130363950309548#!/album.php?aid=213628&id=659080986&ref=pb">Click here</a> for pics. Let me know if you can't few them.</p>
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<p>On the 27th June 2010 I cycled 52 mile for the London Bikeathon. There are some photos <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/keiththomaswilkinson/LondonBikeathon">here</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>How your donation will help</strong></p>
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<p>To help you appreciate how important your donation is, here are some ways that your money will help "Macmillan Caring Locally".</p>
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<p><em><strong>£5 </strong> buys a specialist children’s book. These books are specially written to help a child understand bereavement; and the family support team give them to family where a loved one has passed away.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>£10</strong> buys a Memory Box. These are keepsake boxes that the Family Support Team give to any children in a family where a loved one is seriously ill. The child is able to decorate the box themselves and put items like photos, perfume etc inside the box. This then becomes a treasured memory of a loved one.</em></p>
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<p><em> <strong>£50 </strong> buys a selection of talking books. Some of the patients at the Macmillan Unit find it difficult to hold a book to read, so a portable DVD / CD players are provided that they can use. Talking books are a great way to listen to your favourite book.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>£100 </strong>will buy craft materials for the Day Centre. The Day Centre offers diversional therapies such as painting; and the patients really enjoy the opportunity to spend the day at the centre, and create art and paint pottery.</em><em></em></p>
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<p><em> <strong>£500</strong> buys an O2 saturation machine. The charity are aiming for all their palliative care sisters to have these machines. Should a patient require their O2 tested at home, and our staff do not have a machine, the alternative is a trip to hospital for the patient, or an uncomfortable procedure in the home, both of which are distressing when they are very poorly.</em></p>
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<p><em> <strong>£1000</strong> buys a portable hospital bed. These are the beds that we deliver into people’s homes for when a patient would prefer to be cared for at home.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>£2500</strong> this will buy a Huntleigh Enterprise Bed for the Ward at the Macmillan Unit. Most of the beds at the Macmillan unit are 10 – 15 years old, so we they are trying to update them with new Huntleigh beds. These beds offer far superior patient comfort, and make it easier for patient care.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>To raise enough for a Huntleigh Ent</strong></em><em><strong>erprise bed would be amazing!!!!!!</strong></em></p>
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<div><strong><em><strong>RECENT FUNDRAISING EVENTS</strong>
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I cycled for 7 hours almost continuously at "Groove on the Green" in Ashley Cross (Sunday 11th July 2010) dressed a Crocodile and raised £220!!! Thank you to everyone for their support and a very big thank you to <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau</a> for providing a free pitch, <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.homegymuk.com/">Home Gym UK</a> for providing the exercise bike and the girls from <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.polecrazy.com/">Pole Crazy</a> for catching the crowds attention!
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My charity meal at <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau</a> (Tuesday 13th July 2010) raised £403!! This included a donation of £100 from <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau</a>, money raised through ticket sales and a raffle and the staff very kindly donated their tips!! THANKYOU</em></strong></div>
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<div><em>Sarah Croucher at <a href="http://www.astute.com/">Astute Ltd</a> organised a Mufti day and they raised £144 - Thank you!!!</em></div>
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<strong><em>PLEASE KEEP THE SUPPORT COMING!!!</em></strong>
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<div><strong><em>Special thanks to the following:</em></strong></div>
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<div><a href="mailto:simondyer10@hotmail.com">Simone Dyer</a> (Personal Trainer) -<a href="www.fitspacegyms.co.uk">www.fitspacegyms.co.uk</a> for his support and advice.</div>
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<div>Valentino's Italian restaurant - Bournemouth <a href="www.valentinobournemouth.co.uk">www.valentinobournemouth.co.uk</a> for agreeing to promote the event in their restaurant.</div>
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<div>Steve at <a href="http://www.scplus.co.uk/">http://www.scplus.co.uk/</a> for their help with the design and printing of posters and T-Shirts.</div>
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<div>Tyreland (<a href="http://www.tyreland.co.uk/">http://www.tyreland.co.uk/</a>) and my best mate Chris for organising this! Tyreland are displaying posters and have Macmillan Caring Locally collection boxes in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">all</span> of their branches. Also for providing a free Tyreland, Brakes and exhaust check as a raffle prize.</div>
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<div>Mo and Danielle (who are the girls mentioned above) - for doing a wonderful job of spreading the word!!</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13715205925&ref=ts">Spiki's Barbers Shop </a>are displaying a poster and Candi the owner has agreed to cut my hair for free from now until September and instead give the money to Macmillan.</div>
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<div>And for donating a haircut as a prize in our Back to School Raffle!</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau </a> at Ashley Cross for hosting the meal at such a good price. Thanks James, Jan and Jamie.</div>
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<div>The girls at<a href="http://www.polecrazy.com/"> Pole Crazy</a> for agreeing to join me at Groove on the Green and attract a bit of attention!</div>
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<div>The guys at <a href="http://www.homegymuk.com/">Home Gym UK</a> for providing me with an exercise bike at Groove on th Green & and again for my Back to School Day at work!</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.afcb.co.uk/page/Home">AFC Bournemouth</a> for donating a signed football shirt for our Back to School raffle!</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.subway.co.uk/">Subway (Lansdowne)</a> for donating cookies to the School Tuck Shop.</div>
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<div>The Christoper Creek Pub for providing a meal for two and wine for our raffle!!</div>
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<div>And the many other individuals who baked cakes, donated raffle prizes and work so hard to make the day a success! THANK YOU!</div>
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<div><em>Thank you to all of you!</em></div>
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<div><strong><strong>Off Line Donations</strong></strong></div>
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<div>Thank you to: </div>
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<div><a href="http://www.charitychallenge.com/expedition.html?id=1162">Charity Challenge</a> - The organisers of this event will donate £100 to Macmillan Caring Locally from the money that I have paid for the trip!</div>
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<div>Jane Rose - £25 (Cheque) - 24/01/2010</div>
<div>Graeme Mutter - £10 (Cheque) - 15/01/2010</div>
<div>Susanne Herridge - £20 (Cheque) - 23/02/2010</div>
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<div>Tyreland collection boxes have raised £69.21 so far and are back in all branches to raise more!</div>
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<div>Groove on the Green (Organised by <em><a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau</a>) £219.43 (11/07/2010)</em></div>
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<div>Charity meal at <em><a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.lebateau.co.uk/">Le Bateau</a> £403 (13/07/2010)</em></div>
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<div>Thank you to those that sponsored my Scottish colleague (Eric Gilham) to wear an England shirts if we won the word cup. Well as we all know we didn't and he never had to wear it but they raise £62.10 and if we had any confidence in England we probably would have raised more, never mind! </div>
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<div>My work colleagues raised £50 on Sports Relief Day with a "Squares Game".</div>
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<div>Thank you to the book club at my work who had a book sale and raised £49.50.</div>
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<div><strong>Money in the "Pipeline"</strong></div>
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<div>My dear mum who is in a care home is collecting sponsorship for me from the people there and this will be collected and added to the total before I go.</div>
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<div>I also have a manual sponsorship form at work.</div>
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<div><strong><strong><strong>Just Giving</strong></strong></strong>
<p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>
<p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>
<p><strong>THANK YOU</strong></p>
<p><a href="mailto:keith.wilkinson@live.co.uk">Keith Wilkinson</a> (Click my name to email me)</p>
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