Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro has been a dream of ours for a few years now and we have finally saved our money and plucked up the courage to book. We are off on 18 September 2010!

This will undoubtedly be a huge personal challenge for both of us – Georgie in terms of fitness and Alexis in terms of home comforts! Due to the fact this trip will be such a challenge we decided it would be the perfect opportunity to raise money for a charity that is really close to our hearts - The Shooting Star Children's Hospice. 

We would be grateful for any donations however large or small to help us reach our target and help children who cope in unimaginable circumstances and show such bravery and dignity. Together we can really make a difference.

To help us prepare for the climb we are going on a fitness weekend, hiking weekend and giving up as many bad things we can! Pictures of our various training endeavours will be going up as soon as we get them as we are sure you will find these entertaining :-).

Please note, our trip is funded entirely by ourselves therefore all money donated will go directly to the children at theShooting Star Children's Hospice.

 

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres. Mount Kilimanjaro is among the tallest freestanding mountains in the world, rising 4600 m (15,100 feet) from the base. We will be hiking through four seasons in a week, from the hot and humid rainforest to the snowy peak of the mountain. Battling altitude sickness we will climb to the summit in the moonlight to see the sun rise over Africa.   

 

The Shooting Star Children's Hospice

The Shooting Star offers a range of care services for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families. These can take place in the family home, in the community and at Shooting Star House, the purpose-built facility based in Hampton, Middlesex.

The care services include Short Breaks (respite care),  Day Care, Outreach Care, Family Support and Therapies and specialist End of Life Care. The care services are based around the needs of the whole family, so as well as caring for the children and young people, there are activities for siblings and support groups for parents and grandparents.

The services make a real difference to families who find themselves in unimaginable circumstances - sharing the good days, being there every step of the way through the more difficult times. The Shooting Star strives to ensure that quality of life is enhanced for the whole family throughout the course of a child's illness.

The Shooting Star's care services are provided to families free of charge, 365 days a year. It costs £3 million every year (£8,000 a day) to maintain these care services, and with no long-term statutory funding, the majority of this comes from voluntary donations.

The Shooting Star's mission is to provide short breaks (respite) and palliative care in a 'home from home' environment for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, whilst supporting their families in their own homes, in the community and at the hospice. The Shooting Star strives to enhance quality of life when every moment counts.

By way of a practical example of just how vital the Shooting Star's work is, please take a moment to read William's story -  http://www.shootingstar.org.uk/images/shine/family-story-william.pdf

For more information on this fantastic charity please visit the Shooting Star's website  - http://www.shootingstar.org.uk/home

Thanks

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