Ruth and Tony Paterson Connor is fundraising for Mercy Ships

Ruth and Tony's page

Belford, last morning-before the fall!

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Raising money for

Mercy Ships

Charity Registration No. 1053055 Scotland (SC039743)

Mercy Ships is an international charity that provides free medical and humanitarian services to the people of Africa using its hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. In the developing world, lack of access to basic health care can have horrific results. Mercy Ships freely provides relief to the forgotten poor - saving lives, improving quality of life and restoring hope.

The Africa Mercy is the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship - staffed with volunteer doctors, nurses, engineers and agriculturists - that visits ports in some of the world's poorest countries. Doctors, surgeons and nurses onboard provide free medical and surgical services, while off ship teams help local communities develop sustainable water, sanitation and education programmes.

For further information on Mercy Ships please visit www.mercyships.org.uk or call 01438 727800.

Page owner

Ruth and Tony Paterson Connor

Page closes

26/07/2014

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Raised: 129%

Target: £1,000.00
Raised so far: £1,285.00

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My story

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UPDATE 21 September 2009, Tony writes:-

Many thanks to everyone who has given so generously to our chosen charity Mercy Ships. I can now tell you that including off-line pledges and donations you have enabled us to exceed our target of £1000.Don't let this stop you giving if you have not yet done so-the site remains open for anothe 2-3 months!We will update the tally etc. on the site as we collect in sponsor forms and money.

By now most of you will have heard that I tried to continue the journey by air after launching myself from my bike heading downhill out of Belford, near Holy Isle. It was a lovely sunny morning and we had completed about half of our trip-we were due to spend the night with friends, Tony and Alison near Berwick.Unfortunately I ended up unconscious with a broken elbow and shoulder,leaving Ruth, her sister Frances and sister in law Heather, to arrange for my safe conveyance via ambulance, to Wansbeck Hospital in Northumberland where they patched and plastered me up after operating on my elbow.Later in the week Frances drove us back to Dumfries where I was allowed home after a night in the local hospital.

I'm very disappointed that I was unable to complete the trip but as I hope you can see from the photos we enjoyed the half we were able to do and had great fun with Franny and Heather who were super company. I would like to thank them and Ruth for looking after me following the accident, thanks to Jonathan and Gemma for their hospitality and help, and sorry for all the trauma and trouble I have caused everyone.Glad I spent £50 on a new helmet, which is now heading for the bin after saving my marbles and life!

tony the one armed typist

original text:-Tony and I are going to cycle from Newcastle to Edinburgh between the 7^th and 11^th of September on the Coast and Castles Sustrans route. This is a distance of 200 miles and we hope to do all but a little bit at the beginning and end over the 5 days from Monday to Friday. As it’s quite an effort for us fifty somethings ( and yes I can think of easier ways to spend an early autumn holiday) we hope you will encourage us by sponsoring us for a good cause!

We’d like to raise money for Mercy Ships, a global charity, which has operated a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978.

Friends of ours, Pat and John, in Twynholm volunteer for Mercy Ships and travelled to Sierra Leone on the Anastasia hospital ship. They came back to give us first hand, photographic and very moving accounts of the work which this organisation is doing. It functions entirely on donations and skilled and unskilled people giving freely of their time and services.

The volunteers in Mercy Ships work particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone where the child mortality rates for under 5’s are 23.5% and 28.2% respectively According to the World Health Organisation, Sierra Leone has the highest child mortality rate in the world. That’s almost one in three children! Our child mortality rate is 0.5%.

One of Mercy Ships projects Pat told us about is the Aberdeen West African Fistula Centre, Western Freetown, The Obstetric Fistula Programme provides surgery for women suffering from obstetric fistula, an injury incurred during childbirth. Fistula causes incontinence and many women are abandoned by partners and families and loose their confidence and self esteem. The programme treats women from across Sierra Leone, as well as from neighbouring Guinea and Liberia. The centre includes an outpatient clinic for children 12 years old and under. The clinic is playing a vital role in the treatment and prevention of malaria and diahorrea which are all too often fatal.

This project was one which really caught my attention particularly as I did not know that the condition of fistula existed but Mercy Ships have lots of projects – surgical, dental, for disabled, blind; sick and poor people and other community projects to do with bringing clean water and improving agriculture. Please see their website www.mercyships.co.uk where their work is described.

“I applaud the Mercy Ships in their efforts of transformational development as they make a lasting difference in a world of need. Mercy Ships has committed themselves to the vision of an African renaissance in their vision of bringing hope and healing to the continent of Africa. … I salute the vision and mission of Mercy Ships and ask that you join me in supporting their noble work and contribute to make this world a better place."
Nelson Mandela - Former President, South Africa .

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So please dig deep and donate now.

	Well, a somewhat excessive way of getting out of cycling the whole way! But well done for raising so much. Donation by Matthew Aitken 01/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Just enough to get you over the line!! Good effort! We're not sure why you couldn't just take an aspirin and battle on!!! Donation by Stephen Knipe 24/09/09	£10.00
	Great to share in your big adventure . Well done ! Pity about the emergency stop Tony ! Donation by Heather 20/09/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
	Well done. It's a very worthy cause. Sorry to hear of your accident. Rhoda Donation by Rhoda. Armagh 18/09/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Hope you had a fun cycle - what a distance! Donation by Moira Weatherup 10/09/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	I know you will be on your way by now, hope things are going well and the weather is being kind. All the best. Donation by Noeleen Marshall 08/09/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Great work- keep going! You will deserve a pint or two when you finish... All the best, Ali Donation by Alastair Fox 07/09/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	May your peddles power you swiftly to the finishing post...and a pint or two! Donation by Vincent & Gillian xx 06/09/09	£50.00
	Good luck Ruth and Tony!...fingers crossed for decent weather for you...and lots of downhill freewheelin! Donation by HELEN FRIEDRICHSEN 04/09/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Go for it! Have fun. Good cause too. See you at the end - I'll have a gin waiting for you! Kate, Gav & baby Charlie xo Donation by Kate Macpherson 30/08/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Will think of you as we trek the high mountains. May the sun shine and the wind be at your backs. Donation by Fran 29/08/09	£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid
	Wow!!! 200 miles is a very long way! Watch you don't get sore bottoms ;-) Good luck! xxx Donation by Matthew Paterson 28/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Mercy will always triumph. Donation by Isobel Strang 28/08/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Enjoy the walk - we will be thinking of you! Donation by The Kheraj/McAvoy Clan 21/08/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
	All the best... Donation by Ken Robertson 19/08/09	£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid
	Best of luck R&T. Top tip no. 1 - get a couple of (rump) steaks to sit on. Top tip no. 2 - don't eat the steak at the end...!!! Donation by Gregg Wilkie 17/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	You'll do it , no problem, cos I'll be there cheering you on!! Frannie Donation by Frannie and Charlie 16/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Hey guys What a trip - I know you guys will do it! Good luck! Love Natalie Donation by Natalie 15/08/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Donation by John Tooth [Jonis Pastit] 14/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	have fun Donation by Christopher Wallace 14/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	be careful where you get the blisters!!! Donation by Keith Fox 13/08/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Hope the weather is fair for your run, good luck. Donation by Jim Rae 12/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Donation by david gurney 11/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Sorry we won't be here with the flags out! Moira & John Donation by John Miller 10/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Pity I'm busy that week, or I would have joined you!!! Donation by Peter 10/08/09	£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid
	Good luck and enjoy the trip! Donation by Keith and Kathryn Shettle 04/08/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Best of luck guys, have fun! xxx Donation by Louise Paterson 04/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Donation by Anonymous 04/08/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Donation by Anonymous 03/08/09	£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid
	Good Luck. Hope you get a southerly wind. Donation by Chris Miles 03/08/09	£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

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* Total raised online:	£775.00
Offline donations:	£510.00
Gift Aid plus supplement:	£197.44

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