On September 21st this year I am off to Romania to undertake a charity Trek in the Carpathian Mountains, which should be fantastic. I am currently spending at least 1 hour a day in the gym or the pool trying to hone this old slab of lard into a lean, mean machine able to achieve this. I will be trekking for between 5 and 8 hours a day for 7 days.

I am trekking on behalf of Link Romania, a charity organisation that I support. Link Romania support several projects in Romania, Moldavia and Albania: 3 of the poorest countries in Europe. The trek that we are undertaking is to support 3 projects in and around the Romanian town of Iasi (pronounced Yarshi)

One project is the building of a childrens playground in one of the outlying villages. The children here have to work after school to help support their families, chopping wood, fetching and carrying water etc. The playground will give them a chance to be children for a little while each day

Another project is to provide some more fresh-water wells in Iasi in the shanty town. the people that scratch out an existence here, have no running water, electricity, gas all the things that we are lucky enough to take for granted. It will be great to be able to ensure that the children and families at least have clean water to drink .

The last, and my particular favourite is a place that Link Romania run, called 'The Farm of Hope'. The farm takes young adults: who have been turfed out of the orphanages with nothing (quite a few of them are severly traumatised), off of the streets and teaches them how to work the land, growing food to support themselves and/or to gain employment. Quite a few of these young people actually live beneath the streets of Iasi in the sewers, often this is the only shelter that they get. Link Romania hope to be able to build  another house on the farm enabling them to help more people .

I think these projects are fantastic. I feel this with such a passion that I am prepared to take up this 'Carpathian Challenge'.

I have paid my own way on this 'Challenge', every penny that I raise goes towards the projects

I do so hope that you may be able to support me in this challenge and sponsor me for my own efforts to help the people of Iasi .

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

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