Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

NB: If you've already visited this page and read it all - please skip down and check the end, as that's where I'll be adding specific events. If not - please do read the rest. It explains why I'm doing this!

[Now updated as at March 2012 - Current event: QUIZ]

Who am I? Why am I here? Why do I want you to donate?

I'm Sarah. I'm 45, and two years ago I was seriously obese. I've lost 5 stone, and got much healthier in the process.  A way of eating called Slimming World (along with my own will power) has changed my life; and I want to celebrate one life-enhancing event with another. Now that I'm significantly slimmer, and much fitter and healthier, I'm going to Trek in Nepal - and raise money for 'Women for Women'. Two years ago I couldn't have dreamed of undertaking such a trip. This year I will do it.

And it's for such a good cause. I've been very lucky: I've had my beautiful daughter, and my experience of pregnancy and giving birth was a happy one: I was healthy and gave birth easily to an equally healthy baby. Many women do not. As I've got to know other people while slimming, I have come across many whose weight is preventing them from conceiving, and others who have not been able to give birth to healthy children. There are many other (not necessarily weight related) issues that impact on people's ability to have the family they want, and I want to support this great charity which is funding research into many different obstetric and gynaecological problems, promoting science for the health of women and babies.

When I first signed up, I had nearly 18 months to raise the contribution towards funding this lifegiving research, which is the target for being accepted on my trip of a lifetime. I've done a few specific fundraising events, but I still need to come up with more. And I will be exceedingly grateful for anything that anybody feels able to give towards this. [Just to clarify - any activities I do on here to raise funds will be going straight to the charity. Not the cost of the trip. That wouldn't be fair!]

I hope you're happy to give by using this page: it's the easiest way for me to make sure that the charity benefits as much as possible  by ensuring Gift Aid can be reclaimed on every eligible donation. And, given my (well deserved) reputation for disorganisation, it makes sure none of the money gets lost. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I'll be updating this page regularly, as I come up with fundraising ideas. All your support will be gratefully received!

My first major event was LENT 2011.  In the course of Lent I swam the English Channel. There and back. Well - not really. But I did the equivalent of 2 official Channel swim, in my local swimming pool. So, not a short sharp shock, but a concentrated period of serious exercise. Obviously without the dangers involved in a real Channel swim - but neither was there the benefit of the tide! So I really did have to swim every stroke of the distance. 2832 lengths, to be precise. That was the equivalent of almost a mile every single day of Lent; but averaging slightly more on account of not being able to go every day. In fact it took my 5 days after Easter - but nobody quibbled about that, particularly since I originally set out only to get to France, not all the way back as well.  Determination kicked in, and I got really fit as a result of all that exercise! Thank you for all your support on that event.

Since then I have held 2 bread and soup lunches, with donations to the cause,  and made cakes, and more soup, for anybody who wants them.

At Christmas 2011 I devised a quiz that was fiendishly difficult, got very few responses but raised some money.

During Lent 2012 I have given myself the challenge of covering 200 miles by a variety of means: swimming, walking, running, cycling, rowing... I haven't specifically requested sponsorship for this, and am using it largely to improve my fitness, but as before, any donations in recognition of the hard slog are gratefully received. I've also highlighted my Fundraising efforts, and the value of this particular good cause, among my friends, so that if anyone needs to make a charitable donation on account of failing their own Lent challenges (chocolate, anyone??) they know where I am.

For Easter 2012 I have devised a much, much, much, much MUCH simpler quiz. I'm sure you all know the type of thing. Apparently they are officially called "ditloids" (so you can look that up) - but they are all phrases, or sayings, or facts, or book/film/song titles, and they all contain numbers. So you will be presented with the relevant number and the initials of all the words, and all you need to do is to furnish the relevant phrase, saying, fact or title. For example "12 D O C" would be "12 Days of Christmas".  See?  Simple??  Please do email me, or contact me on here or via Facebook if you'd like a copy. The closing date is 16th April. And there will be prizes!

Plans for the future (although time is getting short now) include bake sales, a raffle, a quiz evening, and any little jobs that I can do for anybody, that they might be prepared to pay me for! Please do let me know if you think of anything I can do. The deadline for raising the target funding is 25th June 2012. Help!

Thank you all - and Keep Watching This Space.