Simon Rudolph
Simon's Balkans Trek
Fundraising for SSAFA
Story
Aim:
To raise as much money as possible to help combat victims who now suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”). The money will go to fund projects sponsored by the UK Armed Forces Charity, SSAFA.
I will, of course, be making a substantial donation
How:
The money will be raised after I successfully complete a 5 day hike in the mountains of Eastern Europe. The full itinerary of the trip is shown by clicking the link for the Gallery above. It will be a challenging hike, with substantial distances and major ups and downs each day.
Why?:
Over the years, I have raised money for specific charities and purposes, principally in Asia (notably in the Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong). Now, it is time to turn closer to home.
PTSD is a condition that has sadly affected many combat veterans since wars were first fought. However, it is only in recent years that the horrors and extent of this condition have begun to be fully recognized and specific help has been made available. However, significant additional funding from non-Government sources is still needed.
The following link from the UK Guardian newspaper article highlights how widespread PTSD is, and gives some alarming data about the after-effects of combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are many, many similar articles and statistics all of which make the same point.
Combat veterans who have been affected by PTSD as a result of their years of service for their country deserve our help.
Charities:
The hike is being put on by SSAFA, the UK Armed Forces charity, and and Ultimate Challenges, the innovative UK travel company. My thanks to everyone at both organizations for their professionalism.
My choice of charity:
Please browse the website to get full details of the good work that SSAFA does.