Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

As you can see, I’ve signed up (some might say, rashly) for a rather challenging 100km walk across the Namibian Desert to raise money for charity - see picture example, eeks!  The Challenge takes place over 4 and a half days and we'll be walking up to 9 hours per day across the remote wilderness of the Damaraland in Namibia.  We'll be trekking across sand dunes, gravel plains, rocky terrain and riverbeds… all in 36+ degrees!  And I'm told there's even a danger of encountering potentially dangerous wildlife such as lions, hyenas, rhinos and the odd poisonous snake (not to mention the insects and spiders).  Added to that, we'll be living under canvas the whole time and only have access to some very basic washing facilities... nowhere to plug in the hair straighteners!  And, as anyone that knows me knows, I don't do camping.... or walking for that matter... and I can't live without my hair dryer, so this is a challenge for me on sooooo many levels.

However, I am really up for it and the training starts now, so you never know, there's a chance I will get fit too.

The charity I'm raising money for is the Fredericks Foundation who focus on helping disadvantaged people who have the courage and determination but lack the resources to get themselves out of the benefits-system spiral. They provide loans, funding and mentoring enabling them to start their own businesses and be able to support themselves and their families on their own.  Their philosophy is to give a 'hand-up not a hand-out' and as a result they acheive an 85% payback rate on their funding which means the businesses they help are successful and the money can be recycled to help others time and time again. Which is great news for everyone.  Having heard some of the touching case studies, I know they are really making a difference to peoples lives. 

And because I would also like to support a charity close to my heart, any funds over my target will go to Cancer Research - so there's a lot of money to raise. 

Please help me support these worthy causes and give as much as you can, every penny counts and will be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Fredericks Foundation gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!