On 18th September 2005 I set sail on the Clipper Ventures 'The Round The World Yacht Race 2005/2006'. I was competing in Leg 1 of the race on the ' New York ' Clipper 68, one of 10 identical Ocean Racing Yachts. Leg 1 consisted of 2 races. The first race was from Liverpool to Cascais, Portugal (we came 6th out of 10) and the second was from Cascais, Portugal to Salvador in Brazil (we came 4th).

One of the questions in the 'Crew Profile' questionnaire is "ANY CONNECTIONS WITH STOPOVER PORTS". I was initially going to answer 'NO'.

I had just finished reading Ian Dickens 'Sea Change' which is about his experiences on the 2000/2001 race and was reflecting on the rather reckless, exciting and selfish adventure I had signed up for when it crossed my mind that maybe I could turn my obsession with the Clipper Race to possibly benefit the stopover port of Salvador in some small way.

I searched the web for charities operating in Salvador and found 'Friends of Maria' a small UK based charity struggling to help an 82 year old lady (Maria) in Salvador to house 20-30 street children and feed up to 150 people a day! The charity was trying to rent and support a better house for Maria and the children. I made contact with 'Friends of Maria' www.friendsofmaria.com and discussed how I could help.

They were working in partnership with ABCTrust (Action for 's Children). As you might expect, the main request was for financial help for the ongoing support of the property and employment of a fulltime security guard. The initial fund raising target was set at £5000 (£1 for every nautical mile of the journey). I have since adjusted the target to reflect the actual distance we travelled on the race which was 5330 nautical miles. (06/12/05 I have revised the target to £15,000, see May2006 for some fantastic news!)

While in Salvador my wife Sue and I had the great privilege of visiting Maria and the SIS Day Centre. I was also able to welcome Maria and some of the children aboard the New York Clipper 68. Maria is an amazing woman. She has had an incredibly hard life. She was a street child herself and vowed that she would do all she could to prevent other children suffering as she had. The work that 'Friends of Maria' are doing in Maria's name is inspirational. Over the last 4 years they have changed and adapted from providing direct help to Maria (in the form of food and clothes etc) to starting a refurbishment of the current refuge, employing a local key project worker (Ana) and embarking on the difficult journey to gain NGO status in Brazil (Non Governmental Organisation). While I was in Salvador Friends of Maria were informed that they had succeeded in passing the first hurdle of NGO status qualification. The younger children in Maria's care attend a Day Centre run by another charity (SIS) where they receive 3 balanced meals a day, a basic education and are able to 'play' in a 'normal' environment. Friends of Maria are about to take over the running of the Day Centre and purchase the building from SIS. I can't really describe how important the money raised so far will be to Friends of Maria, all I can say is that Maria is lovely, the children were delightful and they and others to follow them deserve a chance in life. Thank you for your continued support in this and your messages of encouragement prior to me embarking on the Yacht Race. For more information visit www.friendsofmaria.com/brazilianwaves.htm Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please help as much as you can and sponsor this project online. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: 'Action For Brazil's Children Trust' and 'Friends of Maria' will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. So please continue to sponsor this cause. Many thanks for your support. Regards Mike

   _______ NEWS (Latest first) NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS _______

  Fund raising is a very humbling experience.

December 2006 - Thank you Goyt Valley Pastorate URC Church for the wonderful donation of £248 from the Christmas Day collection.

June 2006 - A big thank you to Wes Walsh for another donation which takes us over the £10,000 threshold - Thanks Wes - keep winning those quizzes!

  May 2006 - I have just recieved a cheque for the amazing sum of £3210.00 from the Fujitsu 'Integrators Division' BIG SELL event.  I would especially like to thank Dave Clarke for his constant support in this venture.  I would also like to thank all the staff of Integrators Division (and Robin Bartlett for starting the voting in FOM favour) for supporting the nomination of 'Friends of Maria' for this donation.  What a team.

 April 2006 - Thanks to ABCTrust for initially hosting this Web Page for me because 'Friends of Maria' didn't have a 'Justgiving' account of their own and thanks to 'Justgiving' for enabling the changeover to the new 'Friends of Maria' Page.

 The Total brought forward including on-line donations of £745 plus Gift Aid of £193.21 is the fantastic sum of £6606.22

 15/04/06 Thanks to Mary, Dorris and Ron for the donations.

 March 2006 - 16/03/06 Thanks to Lynne and John for your donation

 10/03/06 I spent a very pleasant afternoon at St. Mary's RC School in New Mills telling the children about my experience in the Clipper Race and giving them a progress report on their 2 teddies (who are still on board NYC somewhere in the Philippines).  I was presented with a £125 cheque for 'Friends of Maria'.  The money was raised at their Christmas Concert.  I would like to thank the Head Mr. John Barrett for his support and all the staff, children, friends and parents who contributed.

 January 2006 -  03/01/06 Thank you Susan Jackson and Mollie for the donation from the book restoration.  Thanks also to Rita, Mary Besant's friend, for the donation.  Thanks to my mum for the collection of loose change, it took daughter Christine ages to count but amounted to £80 - fantastic.  A big thank you to the staff ofOffertonHigh School , especially Brian Povey.  The school staff raised £100 for Friends of Maria.  They donated money to FOM instead of sending each other Christmas cards.

  December 2005 - 25/12/05 Thanks to all the people who have 'Adopted a Child for Christmas' - Christine & Terry Lomax (2 children), Catherine & Colin Fox, Christine & Matthew, Jill & Ian Kenna, Tim & Catherine Brown & family, Margaret Kenworthy, Mrs Beatrice Hough, Sue & I, The Romiley Health Centre & Friends, The Marple Community Coffee Group, Elizabeth & Brian Povey, Anne & Steve Jones. I think you can safely say that you have guaranteed the children at Maria's will have as good a Christmas as possible. Total raised so far £427.34.  Thanks to Declan Hamilton for your generous donation.

  10/12/05 The 2005 Christmas Concert at Marple Bridge United Reformed Church, produced by Margaret Bailey, raised £491.58. Thanks to Margaret and all who helped, the performers, the people who set out the chairs etc., all who donated Mince Pies and helped with the catering and particularly the audience for their generous donations.

  October 2005 - Thank you Penny, Gill & Neil, Mary & Dave, Ian & Kim, Valorie, Marjorie, Brenda, Margaret, Tim Hedges, Colin de Mowbray and Catherine for your donations.

  September 2005 - The rest of the New York Clipper crew adopt Friends of Maria as one of the 3 charities supported by them. New York Clipper 'T' shirts are available for £8 each - all proceeds to charity, thank you everyone who have purchased them so far. The crew held a Quiz night for family and friends inLiverpool to raise funds prior to the race start - all proceeds to charity.

  August 2005 - The new 68ft Clipper Yachts require a higher level of personal fitness. Some of my friends suggested sponsoring me for every visit I make to the Gym. Their very kind offer has benefited me and 'Friends of Maria' because they have raised £30 so far (thanks Elaine) and my fitness has improved immensely. I weighed 90Kg at Christmas 2004 and now weigh 84.5Kg. My rowing performance in the Gym has gone from 6556 metres in 30 mins to 7651 metres in 30 mins and I can run 5Km in 25 mins.

  July 2005 - My youngest daughter Christine is having a 'Gap Year' well 7 months to be precise, with boyfriend, Matthew. They are in at the moment and will be travelling to soon. Christine has taken leave of her senses and says she will do a BUNGEE JUMP! in aid of friends of Maria 'IF' she can raise 'AT LEAST' £200 - thanks Christine. This is a good opportunity for her friends (and enemies!) to help this project. If you want to see her do it - please start sponsoring.... (If you enter 'Bungee Jump' in the comments column when making a donation on-line, I will add the amount to Christine's total). Flick started the ball rolling (or Bungee elastic stretching!), thanks Flick. Thanks Delia and Rachel. Matthew's Mum & Dad, Hazel, Alan and both Grans. Sue & I, Emma & Jamie, Steve, Liz & Julia, Mike, Bev, David, Fleur, Mark and Michelle, Linzi, Wildy, Helen, Laura, Rosie and Yvette. Total raised £205.00 Thankyou everyone for helping Christine raise this money.

  13/07/05 She did it! Well done Christine we're proud of you.

  17/07/05 Cream Teas at 'The Manse' Hollins Lane,MarpleBridge , to celebrate 6 years of the joint Goyt Valley URC Pastorate. A lovely warm Sunday afternoon spent in the Manse garden. Tables, chairs and gazebo set out on the lawn. Cream teas made, served and consumed by friends and family. What more could you ask for. Thank you Rev. Jane and all helpers, bakers, servers and attendees. Total raised £130.09. I even managed to get back from a 'New York Clipper' teambuilding weekend in Snowdonia in time to consume 2 Cream teas!

  June 2005 - 25/06/05 Carolyn Hawkins G.L.C.M., F.L.C.M (Organ & Flute) in Concert with 'Flute Salad' and students from 'The Music Studio' New Mills at MARPLE BRIDGE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Stockport, Cheshire. What a Wonderful evening! The quality of the performance was outstanding. Thank you to everyone who performed and helped in any way. Particular thanks to Carolyn for all her hard work and the dedication she has to 'Flute Salad' and 'Flute Pastilles'. To my wife Sue for all the hard work she has put in to this evening. To Brian Clayton and his students for their superb programme of Guitar Music. To Tim Hawkins for being MC for the evening. To everyone who helped selling tickets, baked cakes for the interval, ran the raffle and helped moving chairs etc. many thanks, it wouldn't have been possible without your help. A big big big thank you to Flute Salad and Flute Pastilles, you were fabulous. To the parents and families of the performers who gave their help and support. Thanks to Robert Hawkins for 'holding it all together' on percussion. Finally a special thank you to Gemma, Carolyn and Charlotte for the nautically themed medley they played especially for me. I don't know where they got the idea for 'What do we do with the drunken sailor' though! The total raised was an amazing £623.50 Regards Mike

  May 2005 - 25/05/05 A big 'Thank you' to the Marple Community Coffee Group who held a Special Coffee Morning at MARPLE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH. Margot Spong and a dedicated team of helpers provided Tea & Coffee, Cakes and scones, Bring & Buy, Raffle etc. They were a delightful group of people and were genuinely interested in the work of 'Friends of Maria' and my adventure on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. They raised £300 for FOM, what a fantastic effort!

  12/05/05 Thankyou to all our friends in the Goyt Valley URC Pastorate for donations to keep/borrow the copies of the Christmas Concert Video/DVD - total raised so far is £64

  April 2005 - 03/04/05 To any of my old friends and school mates who have got here via 'Friends Reunited' - thanks for having a look at this site.

  March 2005 - 19/03/05 Congratulations to John & Judy Mercy on their Wedding Day and warmest thanks for the very kind gesture of asking for donations to go to 'Friends of Maria'. 13/03/05 Many thanks to Mary Besant for the generous sponsorship of this cause and for the donation in memory of Kim's Father ( Ray), and in memory of your friend.

  January 2005 - 15/01/05 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures, the first man to sail single handed non-stop around the world, kindly agreed to have his photograph taken with me for 'Friends of Maria'

  2004

  20/12/04 Thank you to the 'Badminton Group Christmas Lunch' for thinking of others while having their 'Christmas meal out' and to Barbara Northover for suggesting this project... £45 donated. It is people like these who will help make a difference to people like 'Maria' and the children.

  14/12/04 The Christmas Concert at Marple Bridge United Reformed Church on Saturday 11/12/04, produced by Margaret Bailey, raised £400 - details to follow. 29/11/04 Particular thanks to the United Reformed Church 'Goyt Valley Pastorate' for their donation of £128 from the 'One World Market' held at Marple United Reformed Church in November 2004