Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

The story below belongs to Katherine but this page is now collectively for our whole team. We all met together on 30th Sept, some meeting old friends and some meeting for the first time. We are all so excited for our trip in November and united in our passion to help the wonderful projects already happening in Sierra Leone. Thank you for your support, we can't wait to show you pictures!!

Two and a half years ago I approached the British Red Cross about a job they were advertising. They needed NHS workers to go out to Sierra Leone and work for a few months in one of the field hospitals set up just outside Freetown for Ebola patients. It had been playing on my mind ever since the crisis hit the news and finally, I couldn’t ignore the calling any more. Thankfully I was successful in my application and then began the hard work, persuading work to let me take the time off and, even harder, explaining to my family what I was about to do. It was understandably a tricky conversation but ultimately one which they supported me in. As the time came nearer to leave it seemed that things were improving out there. Sadly one NHS worker from Scotland contracted Ebola after returning home and I believe that these two reasons meant that BRC decided it was pulling the teams about to be deployed. So that was that, after all the build up and preparation it was cancelled. Of course it was great news that things were improving out there but I felt a sense of grief for something that had become hugely important to me. I threw myself back into normal life and tried to keep my mind off it but it never really left.

This year I decided that I was going to do something about this longing and started looking at alternatives. After remembering a friend from church talking to us about his trip to South America with Mission Direct, I looked to them. Sure enough a team was due to go out to Sierra Leone in November to help for a fortnight with building work in the local hospital, clinic and school both in Freetown and on the coast. I’ve been lucky enough to be accepted and I travel out there on 4th November this year. I can’t believe that I’m finally going to get there and fill the gap that it left in my heart. If you could help me to fundraise for this amazing charity I would be so grateful!