At midday on Thursday 9th October , as the world markets were in turmoil, I along with 17 others made it to the top of Mount Toubkal in Morocco which at 4167 metres is the tallest mountain in North Africa.

As Dan Salmons, one of the walkers, put it "it was like walking for five hours up the stairs in Barclays head office, with rubble littered across the steps, the oxygen being sucked out of the building and the temperature at sub-zero."  And that was just the climb to the summit!  We then had to get back down and we'd also had 9 hours walking uphill the previous day, and faced a long walk back the following day.  It was one of the most demanding things I have done in my life and something which I and all the other walkers are very proud of.

We were doing this:

o To make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children in Northern Ghana and cancer sufferers in the UK
o As a considerable personal challenge
o To have some fun
o To mark my 50th birthday

The walk is supporting the work of Afrikids and Macmillan. I am personally focusing upon Afrikids.

Will this really make a difference ?

o I passionately believe it will !!

Why ?

o I have spent a considerable amount of time with Afrikids and in my view they are one of the most impressive organisations I have come across in 20 years of working with organizational leaders.
o Afrikids don’t just treat the symptoms, they practically invest in addressing the root causes and developing sustainability. The two projects we are supporting are about setting up and supporting local businesses ( Operation Smiles ) and strengthening the local economy by developing an ecolodge business, the profits from which will be reinvested in developing the local community. Both projects will directly improve the life of vulnerable children and the wider society in Northern Ghana, now and into the future.
o I will be going out next year, as will a number of the other walkers, to experience first hand how the money has been invested
o All the money raised will go direct to the charities, the costs of the walk were all  covered by the walkers themselves.

 Do we really need your help ?

Yes we do – we were aiming to raise at least £150,000 and if we can do more it will make an even greater difference – so every donation counts.

What do you do next?

Give as much as you possibly can – it really will make a difference!

Should you feel passionately about giving to Macmillans rather than Afrikids, then please go to http://www.justgiving.com/alistairturner1

Many thanks - your support means a lot to me personally.

Alistair