Francesca Mathieu is fundraising for David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Francesca Mathieu's Fundraising Page

Desert Cycle Namibia

on 10/05/2009

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Raising money for

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Charity Registration No. 1106893

Recently voted by a BBC poll as one of the most effective and popular wildlife charities in Britain, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) is a small UK-based charity, dedicated to the long-term conservation of critically endangered mammals in the wild and the benefit of the local people who share their environment.DSWF is a small wildlife charity with a big impact. It supports a range of innovative and far reaching projects to protect endangered mammals, such as tigers, elephants and rhinos, throughout Africa and Asia

Page owner

Francesca Mathieu

RSS

Raised: 91%

Target: £1,500.00
Raised so far: £1,362.00

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My story

Hello Very Generous Kind Heartrd Nice Friends and Family!!!

(I can be cheesy, as now you got this far it means you intend to donate! )

As you know I will be travelling to Damaraland in Namibia for a 10 day cycle across the vast red rock desert landscape. The area is home to black rhino, elephant, lion, and a wealth of other game species uniquely adapted to survive the world's most ancient desert, the Namib. We are doing this in aid of Rhino conservation.

In the mid 1980s, a savage slaughter of wildlife, particularly the black rhino which suffered a catastrophic 98% decline throughout Africa, was taking place in Namibia. The world's last remaining population of desert-adapted rhino, together with the desert elephant, was facing extinction because of loss of habitat and poaching for their horns (for two reasons only - to make handles for ornamental daggers and as a Far Eastern remedy to reduce fever and erectile malfunction) Rhino numbers were reduced to approximately 30 animals in the beautiful, remote landscape of Damaraland and Kunene province.

By saving these rhinos, we also help save many other species and the incredible landscape they inhabit. From this bike ride David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) will also be supporting the tribal communities as well as greatly increasing local employment in an area of abject poverty.

Even if saving rhinos is not your thing, please do support me in what will prove to be (if you know me) a truly miraculous event, Francesca doing excercise all day, for 10 days in the Desert, no pizza express in site!

Please give generously to save one of the world's last surviving truly wild populations of black rhinos and other wildlife living in the planet's oldest desert.

Many thanks for your support.

Love

Franks/Chess

No amount of money will convince me to wear lycra....Fact

	Am looking forward to hearing how your bottom copes!! and words of encouragement..!!xx Donation by Louisa Allert 13/05/09	£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid
	it'll be quite a feat in the heat, best of luck and hope no chafing! xx Donation by Alex Mount Charles 28/04/09	£50.00
	Donation by Sasha 23/04/09	£50.00
	so proud of you bigmi! Donation by Lottie Mathieu 20/04/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Go chess! Donation by Henri and Mase 17/04/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Franks, great effort and will be waiting with a fresh pizza express once you get back! Donation by Roups 15/04/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Really good luck - utterly impressed! x Donation by Clarissa 14/04/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Go Frankie go! You're going to be so hot right now cycling in that desert! Donation by Charlotte 09/04/09	£35.00 + £9.87 Gift Aid
	daily updates of your sweatty bombom pls! Donation by louisa 09/04/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Enjoy your holiday pissnips! Donation by Charlie 09/04/09	£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid
	Will double up if we receive photo in full Lycra. Anyone else?! Donation by Ian and Tia 09/04/09	£50.00
	my lifetime dedication to conservation counts too I hope! Atta girl! xx Donation by Venetia 09/04/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	see you on skeleton coast... Donation by Nick 01/04/09	£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid
	good luck...crazy but commendable! Donation by Tom & Tarka 31/03/09	£150.00 + £42.31 Gift Aid
	Donation by sheila mccusker 30/03/09	£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid
	Piece of cake ... if it was a rhino ride for 400km it would have been much more impressive! Good luck. Donation by Mark Leighs 30/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Keep on biking.Best of luck.Me and Pops will be routing for you! xo Donation by ju ju 29/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	obviously mad.... XXX Donation by Tiff 29/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	what noise does a Rhino make? Donation by fred 27/03/09	£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid
	GO Frankie... Donation by Ari bella 27/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	best of luck, keep cool x Donation by Vin 27/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Good luck! Donation by Nat Elliot 26/03/09	£35.00 + £9.87 Gift Aid
	Guess we will all have to switch to the blue pills now ;-) . Really good luck to you - v worthy cause!! Looking forward to the pictures! Donation by Paul Weeden 26/03/09	£65.00 + £18.33 Gift Aid
	I didn't even know you owned a bike?! Sounds amazing, good luck sweetheart x Donation by Tilly Gaunt 26/03/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Just roll with it and go save some Rhinos! xox Donation by Lampshade! 26/03/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Just think what Catherine Tate would have said. I bet you're sore you'll do it. Donation by Ferdy P-G 26/03/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
	Lucky Rhinoceros- send a photo of you with the rare animal please Donation by Ted 26/03/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	I want blood, tears and sweat for this... Donation by Jules 26/03/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
	Donation by Max 26/03/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Apparently you will need some cushioned lycra shorts... xx Donation by Eugenie Mathieu 26/03/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

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* Total raised online:	£1,362.00
Offline donations:	£0.00
Gift Aid plus supplement:	£341.85

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