OK, I hear that you're sick of sponsoring people!  I feel your pain....honestly, I do.  Just read below and you'll feel better (with BUPA!) and you will be desperate to sponsor me.  I promise.

In November I will be jetting off with some colleagues to Northern Thailand to work on a series of manual projects to improve Sarnelli House orphanage.  Sarnelli house is home to over 120 children, most of whom have no home of their own as their parents have died from AIDS and some of whom are infected by HIV and AIDS.  Sarnelli House is the only organisation of its kind in the north-east of Thailand looking after these children. 

For more info on the Sarnelli House visit http://www.sarnelli.org/pages/sarnelli.htm?sp=en

SO that's the charity and that's my challenge and there are good reasons to dig deep and sponsor me...

1. The charity is wicked and in need of your support.  These kids have had none of the advantages given to me or anyone who is reading this.

2. I haven't asked you to sponsor me for a while (at least a year!)

3. I don't have many friends so by sponsoring me you make me feel popular and better about myself.  Why wouldn't you want to do that?

4. BUPA is match funding all sponsosrhip raised and if you're a UK taxpayer then your donation is tax efficient.  By my reckoning this means that for every £1 you give the charity will get £2.28.  Now that's a good reason!

(and now for the party political broadcast)

5. This labour government has created the longest sustained period of economic growth any of you will have ever known - and your house value has gone up so you should all be feeling flush. (If you're trying to get onto the housing ladder now then you don't have to be rejoiceful at this particular point!)

6. I have to do manual work.  Yes, that's manual work not pushing paper and so that in itself is worth a few bob surely.

Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for sponsoring, this really is a worthwhile cause and I'm committed to working bloody hard whilst I'm there to justify every single penny which you give me in sponsorship.

Best wishes to all,

Andy.