Thanks for taking the time to sponsor me on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge! It doesn't matter whether the donation is small or large, it all counts, thank you! Please see below for a sort of blog on my progress...
24 November 2010
Well, we made it! Mostly OK, but some returned with dysentery, sunstroke, blisters and missing toemails. The team was fantastic, and we covered over 45 miles of sunes and desert in just over 2 days, with temperatures over 30C. I feel so happy: thank you for supporting my challenge and donating to CAFT x
10 November 2010
Last entry: 7 days to go. Alternating between very excited and a little trepidatious (is that a word??). Actually, excitement wins, except I hurt my toe in training and now I am worried it will be a problem next week!!! Bye and thank you!
27 October 2010
Nearly there now! A big thank you everyone for supporting the children of CAFT. I am as fit as I have ever been, but I'm not sure it's enough, I keep hearing how tough it will be in the Sahara: I haven't found the time to devote to long weekend training treks so have kept myself going by running a couple of times a week and doing aerobic training 1-2 times a week, as well as walking the dog daily. I am fully believing the phrase 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. I am sure I'll get through it, but whether its with a skip and a smile or a trudge and a tear remains to be seen. Still, not much I wouldn't do for nearly £4000!!!! :) Wish me luck x
09 August 2010
Last week, we held our first ever Promises Auction at Woodlands Day Nursery. Staff pledged services such as babysitting, taxi service, car washing, children's meals for the freezer, and parents donated items for sale: so many lovely things, thank you! The children also contributed b painted the most fantastic colourful artwork: group pieces were also auctoned off. In total, thanks to the hard work of the contributors and the support and generosity of the parents, we managed to raise £1366! I was the auctioneer, and I hope everyone enjoyed the evening (and the wine) as much as I did! The evening was such fun, we may do it again in the future x
28 June 2010
Our first disco was a great success! We raised £737.35 after costs for CAFT. We sold 154 tickets and made nearly £600 from the stalls. This has to be down to the tireless, good-humoured sweaty toil put in by all the volunteers in that hot Jazz Club, who didn't stop for a minute: well over 100 Belgian chocolate marshmallow and fruit kebabs were made, and over 100 faces painted/tattoos applied. Popcorn does appear to fly very well when launched in front of giant fans and it is possible to streetdance and eat a hotdog simultaneously! Also many companies, including School's Out, waived their costs, so more could go to CAFT. Here's what some parents had to say:
"Thought it was a great success- the kids all enjoyed it – or seemed to – good idea to replicate for Schools Out – post Xmas themed one??"
"just wanted to say that I thought your streetdance disco was really good on Friday night. A lot of hard work had obviously gone into it. Thanks again and I hope you made lots of money for your charity."
"I thought Friday was fantastic. The kids had a great time and you had put in so much effort, which really paid off! Well done."
"My daughter and I were at the disco on Friday and had a FABULOUS time. The venue was amazing and we had a great time. Phoebe loved learning the dance steps – and the sweets!"
"It was a great night"
"Great, please do again"
So we are going to have to repeat it at some point in the future! HUGE thanks to everyone for being so generous with their time and money, what fantastic people to know :)
21 April 2010
I am pleased to announce that tickets are NOW ON SALE for the School's Out Streetdance Disco on 25 June 2010, 6-7.30pm, at the Cinnamon Club, Bowdon. All children welcome (age 3-11 years), advance ticket sales only from me or any School's Out Club or Elmscot or Woodlands.
We have a laser disco, streetdance coach, an offical photographer, popcorn stall, hotdog stall, chocolate fountain stall, sweets & drinks stall, a cupcake decorating stall, a jewellery-making stall, lucky dip, facepainting, tattoos, hairbraiding, and last but not least, a fantastic Cappuccino Bar for parents. Jenny from CAFT is also coming to show everyone what goes on at the farm, so everyone can see how our support is needed.
If your child and their best friend would like to come, please let me know!! x
6 April 2010
Easter Bake & Take: Thank you to all parents of School's Out and Elmscot and Woodlands! Last Thursday all the children baked beautiful cakes for sale, and together we have raised a further £206.90 for CAFT. Now we need a sponsored diet!!
31 Mar 2010
Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket in the Giant Chocolate Cake Raffle. The £50 cake from Angel Cakes by Virginia Valentine of Altrincham, freshly made today & amazingly decorated with 20 handmade roses in different kinds of chocolate, edible glitter and dozens of chocolate tubes (can you tell I wish I'd won it?), was won by a mum at Woodlands. In total this raffle raised £114! Thank you! I had an email from Jenny at CAFT this week which reminded me why we are raising these funds:
"We started our holidays earlier this year so have had 10 holidays already. Last week we had children from Rosebank School for children with autism. We had a group of approximately 8 children in each day staying for one night only as their autism is too severe for them to stay any longer. This week we have 7 children in from the Seashell Trust. These children are aged between 10 and 17 and have a number of difficulties ranging from learning difficulties, communication difficulties, sensory impairments, mobility problems and 2 of the children/young people are wheelchair users. Many of them use sign language and PECS (picture exchange communication system) in order to communicate. Fingers crossed that the weather picks up for them, but they will have much fun and rest no matter what the weather!
Then next week we have children in who have lost their parents/siblings and are bereaved. They have been referred by their counselor who has stated in her application that ‘One who cares for mum, brother autistic and mum is ill. He has no real life away from his mum. He really needs someone to care enough to do something for him and for something good to happen in his life for a change".
Keep the donations coming, please :)
18 Mar 2010
Wow, what phenomenal generosity. Thank you all so much.
I am a little embarrassed to admit how much weight I have lost as it simply reinforces how big I was but suffice to say its a lot. I know its going to be hot, arduous climbs up those dunes, and losing a few stone can only help to get through it. I can jog a couple of miles without stopping and I need to increase my stamina!
In addition to this fundraising website, we have a fantastic cake raffle to be drawn 1 April for a £50 chocolate extravaganza donated by Angel Cakes by Virginia Valentine in Altrincham. £1 tickets from me, or any of our childcare settings.
Then, on 25th June, 5.30-6pm, we have the first ever School's Out Streetdance Disco at the Cinnamon Club, Bowdon, with all proceeds to CAFT. All children aged 3-11 are welcome, advance tickets only from me or again, any of our settings. VMI Vending are running a Cappuccino Bar for parents, hotdogs donated by Frank Taylor Butchers of Sale and cooked FOC by Herb and Spice Catering & free Streetdance coaching by Julie Hawkins. There will be a Lucky dip, gift stall, tattos and facepaints, and a snack stand. Please come and spread the word! £2.50 for children registered with us, £3 for all other children.
Thank you, thank you :)
3 Mar 2010
I am now fully in training! I have managed to scale a small Welsh mountain in 1ft of snow, covering 8 miles or so in 5 hours. I have also lost many pounds whilst pounding the pavement. But is all worth it, and I am getting updates from Jenny at CAFT about their activities, which spur me on. Thank you all so much for your amazing generosity, and for taking a few minutes out of your lives to do something for CAFT. I am now trying to decide if I can avoid any more Sunday treks, or whether the pain is just inevitable...:)
Jan 2010
In November 2010, I will be trekking a tough 7 hours per day through the Sahara, climbing to the top of the Chigaga Dunes, to raise funds for The Children's Adventure Farm Trust, a local charity providing support, love and friendship to children in desperate need. They provide free activities, holidays and respite care for terminally ill, chronically sick, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the North West. This January alone, they have held a fun day for children with mental health problemas and organised a holiday for a Women's Refuge Group - women and children who have suffered abuse. So your money is being well spent, thank you.
Not only will I find this quite a physical challenge ( I am expecting to use the phrase 'dig deep' quite a lot over the coming months) it will also be a challenge to persuade my family, friends and colleagues to help me raise my target of nearly £2000. Having read the required kit list, I feel my resolve wavering...re-hydration system? Insect repellent? A nice, soft, light bag out of consideration for the camel? Hmm. Then I saw that we will be digging nightly latrines (not sure what we do during the day :)....there will be vipers, scorpions, cobras...so you see, I will earn every single penny you donate if I get through it.
In the next year I hope to organise a few events: a children's disco, a spelling competion for older children, cake sales: if you can't donate money, perhaps you could lend me a hand? Please let me know.
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So please donate now: every donation will help to keep me motivated in my training, and remember how well your money will be used.
