On the 4th of October I am heading off to Tanzania to take on Mount Kilimanjaro.  My trip will start with a few days in a local village helping a school make repairs to their buildings and hopefully spending some time with the children.  After that I begin a 7 day trek to the top of the tallest freestanding mountain this planet has to offer.

My aim is to raise as much money as possible for Action for M.E. a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with M.E.

My mother was diagnosed with M.E. in 2005, following a long period of doctors not being able to say for sure what was wrong with her.  She has done amazingly well coming to terms with M.E. and the effects it has on her life, however still finds lots of aspects difficult.

Action for M.E. is a charity set up with people like my mum in mind, as well as providing information and support for people with M.E., their friends and family, it also funds research into improving treatments and finding a cure.  It aims to improve understanding and reduce the stigma attached to M.E.  This is an illness which devastates lives and can affect virtually anyone, please take this opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people with M.E. and their loved ones.  Further information about Action for M.E. can be found on their website http://www.afme.org.uk/

If you’ve got as far as coming to visit this page with a bit of luck you’ll take the final plunge and chuck a couple of quid into the kitty, if only so you can revel in watching me suffer to get into shape.  If you do and you’re a UK taxpayer Gordon brown will very kindly throw in an extra 28% to make your donation go even further.  Great news for Action for M.E. and also if like me you relish any opportunity to squeeze something out of the government, for a change, minor victory for you too ;-)
 
To save me having to field the same old questions again and again please see the frequently asked questions below, obviously if there is anything else you want to know don’t hesitate to contact me on watts.ruth@googlemail.com.

Many thanks for your support. 

FAQs

Is this just a chance to get a free holiday under the guise of charity?
Absolutely not, I’m paying the full costs of the holiday so as to ensure all the money raised goes directly to the charity along with gift aid on all donations from UK taxpayers.

Are you mad?
Yes I am, but we’ve all known that for years!

Seriously do you actually think you can do this, I mean look at yourself, you’re hardly the model of fitness?
I’m seeing your point.  Right at the moment I’m not sure whether or not I will be able to manage this challenge but I’m going to give it my best go.  Let’s just hope that with a lot of hard work and the dedication of my own strict German personal trainer (thanks a million Julia) I will be able to get myself into shape by October and hopefully make it all the way up in one piece.  Who knows I might even make it back down too?!?

Does this mean you will be turning into a boring sod, not coming out for drinks, and constantly training?
Unfortunately yes, I’ve got a hell of a long way to go and will have to seriously get my arse in gear to avoid killing myself on the first day, but once I’m done I’ll be have a lot of time to make up and you will all be invited to take me out and get me thoroughly drunk!!!!  Till then I’ll be on the softies with you Lucy ;-)

Who are you going with?
I will be going alone but traveling with a tour company which specialises in community projects and charity challenges called different travel; I’m hoping to make friends on route.

Why did you say you were doing this again?
The primary reason for this trip is to raise money for a worthy cause however I am also keen to set myself a real challenge.  It’s no exaggeration to say this will be the biggest challenge of my life.

I want to donate but don’t like giving my credit card details online, is there an alternative?
Yes, I’ve got forms where you can pledge money to Action for M.E. just give me a call or drop me an email and I’ll arrange alternative means.