'Association Rosemary Bamber', or ARB is the name given by our French-speaking Rwandan supporters to a special project that raises money for educational initiatives in Rwanda. It is named after my mum who died in 2011 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. My dad Joe set up and runs the UK end of the Association from his home in Preston. He travels regularly to Rwanda (at his own expense) to check on the way funds are being used, and will be returning again on 4th June for an update

Uniquely, every penny raised goes directly to Rwanda, where Rwandan people decide for themselves how best to spend the money. Many of the committee members making these decision are previous recipients of funds from the RwandaGroupTrust -a small Rwanda support charity established by my parents more than 30 years ago, which has raised well over £1 million and is as active as ever. (Charity number 1074656)

In recognition of the enormous challenges that many people in Rwanda face in order to achieve things that we take for granted, the extended Bamber family regularly organises challenges to raise money for RGT and now ARB. These include: 5 Peaks Challenge (2012), Non-Stop Coast-to-Coast Walk (2014), River Ribble: Source to Sea (2016), climbing Kilimanjaro, and completing the Chester Triathlon.

This year we are attempting to walk across the width of Wales in one weekend, a distance of 47 miles in approximately 24 hours, passing the sources of the River Severn and River Wye along the way. All the money raised will go directly to the people in need in Rwanda. There are no overheads.