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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I have now completed the walk with my friend ,Gemma. We finished on target in Dover on eve of wednesday 4th April. In order to cover the distance in 5 days (125 miles)we had to walk 10 hours a day so it was quite a challenge but we were determined not to give up. Gemma did all the map reading & knew we did not have time to stop for breaks. There were more ascents & descents than we had imagined but somehow we kept going. Some dear friends & family texted & rang us on route which certainly helped to keep up the morale. Advice had to be sought about popping blisters( thank goodness for Compeed!)There are a few injuries now to deal with but it has been well worth it because of the great response we have had. My mum is also raising money (the old fashioned way with sponsorship form)over in Chichester so the total will be quite a bit more. I am raising money for Children on the Edge because this charity (established in 1990 by Anita Roddick after visiting Romanian orphanages) makes a real difference to the lives of marginalised children. I have a personal reason for wanting to support the ethnic minority people of Burma- in particular the Karen people- and Children on the Edge have some excellent projects on the Thai-Burma border working with the children who have fled the Burmese military regime. Walking a long way just seemed the right thing to do to raise money for people who spend their whole lives on the move. Often they will walk dozens of miles, find somewhere that seems safe and then have to get up and move again. I've tried walking in that jungle and what would have taken me a day a Karen woman could walk in a couple of hours. Some people may be thinking that things are improving for the people of Burma since Aung san Suu Kyi won her seat but it is very much early days & the support of the international community is still very much needed.( see Zoya Phan's article in The Guardian Tuesday 3rd April- 'First Steps to Freedom') If you take a look at the Children on the Edge website you will see that there are four Nursery Schools for displaced and vulnerable children on the border between Burma and Thailand which provide a safe environment, food, shelter and early years education. What can your money do? 7p a day can provide rice, egg and vegetables for each child and milk once a week. 70p can buy a first aid kit. There is also Crisis Centre in Thailand. Many children arrive alone in Thailand having been orphaned or separated from their parents while escaping persecution. There are 72 children currently at the centre, which provides food, shelter, education, health care, trauma counselling and recreational activities. By sponsoring me, you will directly be helping these children. Another reason I want your help to support the persecuted children of Burma is because their grandparents are our 'forgotten allies'. ( see David Alton's paper- ' The Great British Betrayal') And for anyone who wants to read a first hand account of fleeing the Burmese military & surviving the refugee camp I recommend Zoya Phan's ' Little Daughter'. Zoya will be giving a talk for the Canterbury Amnesty International group on 23rd May for anyone who wants to know more about what is happening in Burma right now. 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 UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Lisa Clutterbuck on the N. Downs Way

Lisa Clutterbuck on the N. Downs Way

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