First off thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. 

If you are here, you are at least considering making a donation for a very worthwhile charity. So please  to the charity by  making a donation to the charity from the links on my page.

What am I doing :-

On 1st - 10th September 2011

I will be taking part in the Mount Kilimanjaro Summit Challenge in order to fundraise for the charity – This is classed as an extreme endurance event without the need of special climbing equipment that we test my physical & mental fitness to the limit. 30-40% people do not make it, I am determined I will!

http://www.kilimanjarochallenge.com/  

The 2nd is The Great South Run on 30th October 2011, then early 2012 is the Mt Everest Base camp Trek.    -   A tough time ahead for me.

Why am I doing this:-

• It's about 'the blokes': those men and women of our Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of our country since 9/11.
• H4H provides direct, practical support for our wounded.They fund projects and initiatives that make a real difference to the lives of our wounded heroes.
• We do not seek to criticise or be political. We just want to help and we work closely with the Army, Navy and RAF to provide support where it is most needed.
• 'Money in, money out'. They spend all that they get. and all their admin costs are covered by selling H4H merchandise through Help for Heroes Trading.
• It's about doing your bit, no matter how big or small. Every fundraiser is special to the charity and can makes a real difference, so please please donate to support my fundraising

My story

Well a couple of years ago I decided to get of my lazy backside & get fit to improve my own health after being diagnosed with Asthma, at that time I simply just gave up & ended up piling on stones feeling sorry for myself, but there was something missing from my life that I could not put my finger on. So I decided to make a change to my own lifestyle. I have a decent career, family life, now health & fitness, so I am very fortunate in that way, but something was still missing. At 39 is it a mid life crisis you may ask?, I have asked the same question, bit I have simply been inspired from striking up a friendship with someone who has opened my eyes a little further. Now its my time to give something back, do my little bit & the desire to  ‘do this’ is growing stronger in me as I face up to the challenges ahead. This is undoubtedly a massive challenge for me physically and mentally, but insignificant to the Challenges our Armed Forces face day to day.

 

Why Help for Heroes & What do they Do :-

Having friends in our armed forces & after meeting & becoming friends with  other  Servicemen I have learned a lot about what really goes on & the subsequent consequences that follow compared to what we often hear & see in the media'.The things I have been told, often do not portray the real situations our forces face day to day and can take you through the full range emotion’s. These stories can take you from astonishment at people’s courageousness when their own lives are in danger, through to despair and sadness. This is just the 'day job' to them. When you are having a bad day in your place of work, just think what their bad day is like! Yours often results in you being in a grumpy mood when you return home, theirs could be a life changing injury. Please just take a moment to think of this.

Unfortunately there is not always a happy ending. This is where The Help For Heroes Charity steps in for the people who serve our Country providing them and their families support when needed most after becoming wounded in the call of duty.  The Charity supports these people regardless of anyone’s political viewpoint on where or what our Forces are sent to do . My friend who has inspired me has permanent injury from his tour of duty, yet he is again in a new career where he is giving something back(he is now a Personal trainer, giving something back to others helping them change their lives even though his has been changed completely!). This is what has inspired me to do my little bit to give something back to a non political charity that has already raised over £80 million solely to provide support and rehabilitation for our wounded service men & women. So please give generously I aim to raise £10K total, optimistic maybe but achievable like my challenges ahead and need to have raised £3.5k for the 1^st stage alone.

                Please send my link to everyone you know and please support the charity by donating via my Justgving page, its a very worthwhile charity (like most) & has an added bonus of seeing a ‘ginger’ out the country for a few weeks at least, and in pain!!

 They may not know me, but its ALL about the Charity – not me!