On the scariest day of the year, wee little innocent me will be taking on the greatest mountain challenge in the .  I will bravely be attempting to scale the heights of , towering at an intimidating 4,408ft high.  And I'm only 5ft 4!

Even worse I will risking cold alpine conditions at the start of the fierce, bitter, Scottish winter.  On Halloween.  I'm a wee bit scared.

But, I am taking on this challenge to raise money for Enable NI, my favourite charity.  So in the end, it will be totally worth it.  I hope - but you have to donate!

I'm trying to raise £400 to do this.  There are about 10 others doing it too, so collectively we hope to raise £4,000.  (Yes yes I know - I'm not asking for sponsorship for my knowledge of maths.)

I'm not a mountain climber.  Or even a hill walker.  Or even a walker.  Unless you count walking to the shops for a packet of crisps.  This is going to cause me actual PAIN.  I've just quit smoking so I will be a fit (ish) as possible in order to do this, surely that deserves a quid all on it's own?  One little pound?  What will a pound buy you these days?  You can't even buy a coffee for that!  Or you could donate a fiver?  Would you miss a fiver from your monthly budget?  Whatever, even if you donate a penny I will be eternally grateful and it will all add to the total raised.  Every penny counts.  I know people always say that on those charity adverts, but it really does.

This money would make a MASSIVE difference to Enable NI.  Enable does fantastic work - I can personally guarentee you that the money is going to a fabulous cause.  I have added in some information about the work we actually do underneath this "please sponsor me" bit.  Please do have a read.  Or if you're the kind of person who would rather look at the pictures than read - look at my pictures (click on the photos link).

Anyway, I thank you for reading this far.  If feeling sorry for me hauling my arse up a giant mountain isn't enough to make you want to sponsor me, have a wee read below.  It's about some of the work we do.  And if reading that doesn't make you want to donate, look at the pictures.  And if THEY don't make you want to donate - I don't know what else I can do!  I'm open to suggestions - reasonable ones!

Yours gratefully,

Sarah 

Enable:

Enable is a charity in for children and adults with a learning disability and it's mission statement says that “everyone is an individual and has the right to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.”  This is recognized by the approach they take in their projects.

People with a learning disability in do not enjoy equality of opportunity and are often excluded from the opportunities that other citizens enjoy. Their families frequently suffer high levels of social disadvantage and their caring responsibilities can place them under almost unbearable levels of stress.  Enable works to combat this.

People who participate in Enable’s projects often form close bonds and friendships with each other.  All the activities undertaken aim to encourage participation in the community and also boost confidence and self esteem and help to develop their skills, or discover new ones. 

These projects include innovative and person centered respite weekend holidays and day opportunities.  “We’ve moved away from the traditional bed-based-in-a-care-home respite and recognize that while respite is very important to carers, it’s also very important to the person with a learning disability.  We ask the individuals what they themselves wish to do and aim to facilitate this, whether they want to chill out with a movie and bucket of pop corn, or do something more active and adventurous.”  Some of the activities just this year have included abseiling, canoeing, camping (including marshmallow toasting!) orienteering, x factor style competitions, meals out, sports competitions, relaxing aromatherapy massage… it’s quite an extensive list!

What Enable participants and parents say about Enable:

"I'll always remember this." - 15 year old girl who is also a wheel chair user on doing a zip line with Enable for the first time.

"Enable has helped me make friends and helped me achieve my goals."

"The support Enable gives each young person in the group is amazing."

"Before Enable I wouldn't go anywhere and I had no confidence.  Now I enjoy getting out and I look forward to my weekends away with Enable more than anything else."

"I don't know what I would do without Enable.  It doesn't bear thinking about."

And the Health Service (SHSCT) think we are pretty nifty too:

"Enable is trustworthy, skilled and committed to its' client group."

"Enable is succeeding in intergrating young people with a learning disability into the wider community."

"Enable is empowering and creating opportunities for people with learning disabilities."

And what I say:

"Enable is completely awesome and you should really sponsor anyone who is doing anything to raise money for them."

Legal bit:

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.