Idiot that I am, I have decided to do something challenging to celebrate my 80th birthday on August 13th. I am not one for skydiving or abseiling down the front of the university chapel and swimming across Loch Ness would take me several years. So, with the encouragement of my son, Nick, I have chosen to ride 80 kilometres across the very flat Cambridge countryside. The route will take in several hostelries and will keep to national cycle routes wherever possible. I will be accompanied by Nick who will ensure that I survive.

Many thanks to Pat Hodgson for the delightful cartoon of me on my bike with essential supplies for the journey! The wine in the basket is my favourite red - Montepulciano.

THE SATURDAY ROUTE - CAMBRIDGE TO ST IVES AND BACK 51KMS

THE SUNDAY ROUTE - CAMBRIDGE TO RSPB FOWLMEREMERE 41KMS

I have set a target of £2,500 and this will go towards the £7,500 we need to furnish the new school dining hall at St Jude's Primary School at Mto Wa Mbu in Tanzania.

St Jude's was started in 2017 following requests from parents who had children at the highly successful infant school. Fr Peter Kway, the Parish Priest, accepted the challenge, obtained registration from the Tanzanian Government, and construction work began.

In the summer of the same year, the Parish hosted 60 scouts from Cleveland, UK who raised the necessary funds and, over a period of one month, constructed the first two classrooms. Since then, SHOCC has raised nearly £80,000 to construct five more classrooms and a dining/community hall.

The school now has 410 pupils aged between 3 and 14. Attendance rates are excellent and the girl-boy ratio is 51-49. In the 2022 national primary examinations, all 28 pupils passed with A or B grades placing the school as the best in the District.

THE DINING HALL IN USE AS AN EXAMINATION HALL AND (below) THE EXTERIOR OF THE FINISHED BUILDING

SHOCC is a charity run completely by volunteers. As a result, there are no costs except for bank charges on money transfers and the annual costs for our Just Giving site. Trustees visit projects regularly and on these visits, we are able to inspect progress and discuss plans for the future of the school with Fr Peter, the BOM, and parents. Fr Peter also sends regular reports and photos as work progresses and these are posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We are also in regular contact via WhatsApp.

When we have completed the furnishing of the dining hall, we will move on to our next project; that of constructing an administration block and teachers' room. We hope to have completed these by the end of 2025.