Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page - PLEASE sponsor me!

Climbing any kind of mountain?  Er, what?   Climbing Kilimanjaro - I must be nuts!   Do you know how high that is?   Even Cheryl Cole got ill, and she’s YOUNG.   And do you know it gets really freezing up there?  And what about Altitude sickness?

A team of us from work are making the attempt in February 2011.   People who know me are making either shocked or incredulous noises...

1. I have never climbed a mountain before.   

2. I am quite overweight and not nearly fit enough for this endeavour....

3. I am also in my fifties. 

But this is obviously my decade for outrageous adventures as I also got married (for the first time – thank you Brian Waller for your shocked look at that information) in April. 

So I will be climbing for a really good cause.   I want to help raise some funds for St Mungos.  

St Mungos is a charity for the Homeless, very active in London.  Its motto is ' Opening Doors for Homeless People'.

 St Mungos involve the homeless in projects (eg building houses/training ) to help give them back their pride and sense of purpose.   They don't just throw money at the problem but try to arm people with new skills and confidence.

I wanted to support a charity that I feel strongly about.  I have been moved by the stories of many homeless people. I very often think how lucky we are - and how we take the material things in our lives, not least the roof over our heads, so much for granted.  

I know from these stories (and from a couple of people I know who have been homeless) how easy it is to slip from situations like divorce or estrangement, family quarrels,  losing your job etc to finding yourself out on the streets.....  And getting back can seem absolutely impossible. 

In the words of Kirsty MacColl,  'from the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement, it's not that far, to the bag lady frozen asleep in the park, it's not that far'  (Walking down Madison).

But up that mountain is far – very far!  So please support me, and the 14 other nutters who are attempting it with me -  if you can!

Caroline xx

PS the preparations have started in earnest. I have bought a huge packet of Kendal Mint cake.

 

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