Dear all,

Firstly, many thanks to all who already generously sponsored my bike ride and helped me raise this staggering amount! Not long to go now...

For those who don't know: at the end of February 2010 I will be cycling the 470km from Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) to Cambodia (Angkor Wat) in just 5 sweaty days! COOL! But even cooler is that I am doing it to raise money for a great charity – MAG (Mines Advisory Group – see below for details)! MAG is a highly acclaimed humanitarian organisation who clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide (www.maginternational.org).

View: http://vimeo.com/7350650

The greatest challenge is raising the enough money for MAG! This I can't do alone and so I desperately need everyone's help! So please, please, please dig deeeeeepppppp into your pockets and sponsor me whatever you can afford. Every pound helps and no amount is too small! Please note that I contribute to the trip itself, the majority of my sponsorship will reach Vietnam & Cambodia!

You can donate via this website or (for those living in Holland) by depositing your contribution into the following bank account: Rabobank: 3466 42 957 (KE Hough)

What can your pounds do?

£15 can train and equip a local deminer for a day

£20 can buy demining overall

£30 buys a sturdy pair of boots

£40 can provide headwear such as helments with visors

£220 is the price of a flak jacket which could save a life

£550 will help MAG make a remote, safe and controlled explosion with an electronic exploder  

£2,000 pays for a metal detector

£25,000 is the cost of a fully-equipped MAG vehicle for transporting staff and equipment

Thank you very much for all your support!

XXX Karen

* MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide. MAG is co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for its work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which culminated in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention.

MAG moves into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of those conflicts, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations. MAG consults with local communities and works to lessen the threat of death and injury, while releasing reclaimed and safe land and other vital resources back to the local population, helping countries to rebuild and develop their social and economic potential.