This autumn I'm going to be riding my bike from the UK to the Pyramids. This, as some of you may know, is a trip i've been planning for some time. It originally looked like I would be riding by myself but after some frantic searching, and much to my safety conscious mother's delight, it looks like i've found the perfect travel companion in my oldest friend Ollie Parsons. He is as strong as an ox which i'm sure will be helpful in fighting off bandits and wolves but more usefully he is patient enough to put up with me.
Hopefully we'll be setting off this week, we're just waiting for Ollie's Syrian visa to arrive. This should leave us around 100 days to pedal the 4000-4500 miles to Egypt.
The journey will take us through Northern France to Basel in Switzerland. From there we'll follow the Rhine on route to Austria where we'll travel up and over the alps (as simple as that) into Slovenia, and then down through to Croatia and along the Dalmatian coast to Montenegro. From there we'll head east to Bulgaria passing through Serbia and possibly Albania. Once across Bulgaria we'll be in Turkey. From Istanbul we'll be heading via Syria and Lebanon to the Gulf of Aqaba in southern Jordan, from where we'll sail to the Egyptian port of Nuweiba. Our final leg will take us across the Sinai peninsula, through Cairo and on to the Pyramids of Giza!
Coaching for Hope (Football coaching and health education in Africa)
It has long been my intention to raise money for a charity that deals with health education through football coaching in Africa. I think about the reverence I had for my football coaches when I was young and recognise that such individuals are in a powerful position to positively influence those around them. As such I hope that those of you who can afford to will sponsor my ride to Africa by donating money to Coaching for Hope.
Here's some of the information from their website...
Coaching for Hope is an innovative programme which uses football to create better futures for young people in West and Southern Africa. We’re part of the international volunteering and development charity, Skillshare International.
We tap into the universal passion for football and organise coaching courses where professional coaches from the UK train local youth workers to recognised FA standards. At the same time, the local coaches learn how to deliver HIV awareness sessions to young people in their communities. Once the UK coaches leave, our programme staff provide ongoing support to the graduates. This means they can deliver Coaching for Hope sessions and develop training initiatives of their own.
The kids who benefit are vulnerable - often orphans or with disabilities. They have little access to sport and health education. The chance to play football in proper kit and take part in a tournament can be a life-changing experience which raises their confidence and self-esteem and builds valuable life skills.
They're a hard working charity making a real impact and I think their message is particularly salient given that Africa will host its first ever Football World Cup next year! Coaching for Hope is run by Skillshare International and although (confusingly) the Just Giving link is for Skillshare, 100% of the money you donate will be used for the Coaching for Hope Programme.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
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.
So please dig deep and donate now.
