Myself and colleague, Stuart Gore are planning an Iron Butt Ride ride of around 1,000 miles within 24 hours on the 21 June 2019 - any excuse to ride and raise much needed funds for two fantastic organisations doing great work for those that need it.

RAFBF Rideout Group is a motorbike group raising funds for the RAF Benevolent fund - RAF Benevolent Fund providing a range of support aimed at serving and former RAF personnel and their dependants. This includes welfare breaks, grants to help with financial difficulty and getting about inside and outside the home, specialist advice on benefits and support with care needs, as well as support for young people through their Airplay programme.

Lights for Learning build solar powered lighting that are installed in places of education. We work mainly in areas of the world where artificial lighting is impossible or hard to obtain. These areas include Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe (yes, stunning country and wonderful people), the Philippines and loads more - I've personally been to Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Philippines. The benefits positively impact entire communities in which these schools or clinics are based. Lights for Learning also provide their solutions, with training to fit them, to other charities who have their own projects that are also aimed to help lift the education & health standards of similar communities.

I care about these two organisations as they provide help for those most in need. Firstly our service personnel in the RAF, and secondly those with almost nothing to their name - education is key to their success.

The solar powered computer below is a device that we develop and design ourselves. We actively encourage locals to raise their own funds for lights - though we do have to give them a bit of a kick start but after almost 15 years its starting to pay off!

Images below show a typical kerosene lamp used by a 3 year old. Below that shows a classroom before and after lights have been fitted.