Story
<p>They think it's all over.....it is now. Read my write-up about my adventures and success in completing the trek and building the houses!</p>
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<p>http://www.scribd.com/doc/45547886/Community-Challenge-Cambodia-2010-MAG-International</p>
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<p><span style="color: #339966;"><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Well, 9 days to go now and I've had some last minute very generous donations - thank you!</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #339966;"><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Lizzie, my yoga teacher, gave me a donation last night at my "last class before take off" and Terry Edwards of FEET FIRST in Hemingford Grey, who has looked at my sore foot and diagnosed sore ligaments and bunions (old age :-( )has donated his fee to my funds too. HOW KIND IS THAT. Thank you ! x</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #339966;"><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">I can hardly believe that all these months of fundraising, kindness and generosity are coming to fruition and it'll soon be time for the big event! What seemed months away, is now only a matter of days away......</span></strong></span></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">And now for something completely different:</span></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Saturday's Laughter Yoga Workshop (23rd Oct) was fab! Lots of messing around and playing and of course laughing! At the end of the 2.5 hour session the words we all used to describe how we felt were "relaxed, content, chilled, happy". It was a great workout for the lungs and the jaw!</span> </span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">I can't thank Jo Eadie enough (laughter guru extraordinaire) who came over from Milton Keynes to Cambridge especially to run the workshop and donated ALL the fees paid to my fundraising! HOW KIND IS THAT?</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Har Hari also donated the use of her yoga studio free of charge for the event - so thank you too Har Hari (currently in China studying esoteric mediation)! x</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">So now, it's only 4 weeks until I go, i don't think I'll make it to the £5k but the total so far is SO MUCH HIGHER than I ever though possible when I first decided to tackle this challenge. Thank you thank you! :-)</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Last Thursday I went to London to go to an information session on the event. I met Steve from MAG and Nannette, a fellow participant, and also Tarik from Action Challenge who organise the event.</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Nannette and I were given a fantastic presentation about the trip and specifically about the village we will be going to (Phum Thlat) and saw some photos of the two families we are going to be building the houses for. Their existing houses are incredibly basic, and the pictures of the insider of the houses really brought home to me exactly how very little these people have. In all the pictures of the villagers, they were all smiling however. Amazing.</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">There are going to be 16 of us taking part - 13 women and 3 men with ages ranging from 25-71. We are coming from the UK, Australia, Austria, USA, South Korea, Luxembourg and the Netherlands! Truly international!</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #a52a2a;">I am getting pretty excited about the trip, but also wondering what I've got myself into.....but that's all part of the challenge too! BRING IT ON!</span></strong></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Update 21st September: <span style="color: #000000;">The MBS Fair raised £402 pounds for MAG - fab eh? Much more than I dared to hope for! Thank you to all my friends, family, mediums, therapists and stall holders and member of the public who supported the fair - and a BIG THANK YOU to Hayley Coulter who helped me manage the fair! And of course, to all my wonderful helpers on the day - I simply coudln't have done it without you all !!!</span></strong></span></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">So.....now it's time to get FIT for the trek and the house building project! Only 9 weeks to go until I fly off - hope I haven't left the getting fit bit until too late.....I even went for a jog last night - desperate measure indeed !!!</span></strong></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Update 10th September: </strong><span style="color: #000080;">Where has the time gone? It's all ACTION STATIONS now for the Mind, Body & Spirit Fair. If only I could have seen into the future to see how much work is involved....:-) Do come along and have some "fun at the fair" on Sat 18th in Hemingford Abbots Village Hall 12pm-4pm!</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000080;">And BIG THANK YOU to Hayley Coulter who is co-managing the event with me! What a star! And thank you too to all my other good buddies and my sisters who are helping me too!!! xxx</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Update 24 August:</strong> <span style="color: #000080;">I presented to the Rotary Club of St Ives tonight, and have asked them for a donation to my fundraising - few technical hitches, and my presentation looked a strange shade of pink, but all seemed to go well. Very grateful for any donations obviously! THREE MONTHS TODAY and I'll be off on that plane.......not long really....</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Update 21 August:</strong> <span style="color: #a52a2a;">Well, summer's nearly gone, and the Mind Body and Spirit Fair is coming up pretty soon.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">I have <strong>6 Clairvoyants/Medium/Tarot readers, 5 therapists and 16 stall holders</strong> lined up for the event on 18th Sept in Hemingford Abbots Village Hall. Tracy Baker, International Psychic Clairvoyant Medium as seen on TV Psychic & Soul Sky channel 885, is also coming along as my "Headline Act". </span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Now I just need volunteers to help out on the day, taking money, serving teas and coffees, organising the mediums and therapists, helping with the tombola etc etc! All hands on deck. If anyone fancies baking some cakes or biscuits to sell on the day too - that'd be great!</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">On Tuesday 24th I am also presenting at the St Ives Rotary Club dinner. So i have to sit and eat a nice dinner at Slepe Hall whilst getting increasingly nervous about having to stand up afterwards and present to all of the Rotarians! Think of the CAUSE Sarah, not your own fear! :-)</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">In the meantime......I am starting to train for the trek up Kulen Mountain and back (36km total) .....gotta run in those walking boots (so to speak) !</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">A bientot....</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>- see bottom of page for Raffle Prize details -</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Update 22 July:</strong> WELL I DID IT !!! I made my intial target of £2400 - THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED ME ! </p>
<p>So.........because there is so much time before I go to Cambodia, and so much money slushing around out there....I have decided to raise my target by another £1.6k and see if I can hit £4000 !!! With the Mind Body and Spirit Fair on 18th September and Laughter Yoga session on Oct 23rd plus hopefully Soham Town Rangers U18 team doing a charity Bag Pack at Waitrose in Ely....it should be "easy" to make the extra dosh.......I hope! Thanks again to everyone for their kindness and generosity!</p>
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<p>Well, after months and months of deliberating, I have decided to bite the bullet and to commit to this Cambodian challenge!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.maginternational.org/MAG/en/supportmag/community-challenge-cambodia-2010/">http://www.maginternational.org/MAG/en/supportmag/community-challenge-cambodia-2010/</a></p>
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<p>It will be both a personal challenge (and a scary one!) and an opportunity to help those less fortunate than myself by taking part in a trek and a project to build housing for landmine survivors and meet the hereos dedicating their lives to removing landmines. Cambodia remains severely contaminated by landmines, cluster bombs, air dropped bombs and unexploded artillery projectiles, mortars and grenades. This mainly affects the poorest and most isolated agricultural communities. Families and communities in rural Cambodia remain physically endangered – and socially and economically disadvantaged.</p>
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<p>So, I have to raise £3000! I am going to pay for the flight myself which is around £600 so I need to find £2400 by fundraising........</p>
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<p><strong><em>As of 11th July, my life has become one long fundraising effort! Thank you so much to everyone for donating and helping - I am getting there much faster than I ever thought! Preparations now in full swing for the Hoedown on this SATURDAY - I'm looking forward to swinging and doesey doeing but not to making a speech...... I wonder who will win the raffle prizes - i would LURVE that lovely laptop, but I guess it's unethical for me to enter...;-)</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>The other events in the pipeline past and present are:</em></strong> </p>
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<p><strong><em>1) Book and Cake Stall at Hemingford Primary after school on Thurs 17th June<br /><span style="color: #800080;">THIS HAS NOW TAKEN PLACE and the cakes sold like hot cakes, and we sold some books too (!) and raised a fantastic £71.20 !!! THANK YOU EVERYONE for baking, donating books, helping, and purchasing! xxx</span></em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>2) Raffle tickets on sale NOW for the magnificent prizes listed below! 50p each or 5 for £2</em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">3) Wine for Mine Winetasting Evening held at my mate Josephine's house on 8th July raised an amazing £130 !!! Thank you to the Ladies of Hemingford !!! xxx Thank you too to Jane Hemingway for donating two luverly dresses to the funds, esp as I bought one myself! x </span></em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>4) Tickets for the "Hemingford Hoedown" at The Pavilion in Hem Grey on Sat 17th July are also on sale NOW</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">WOW WOW WOW - profit from the Hoedown was an amazing £450 !!! Thank you so much - I think a good night was had by all. Some pics will be posted on this page shortly....</span></em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>4) Organisation of my Mind, Body and Spirit Fair at Hemingford Abbots Village Hall on Sat 18th Sept is also well underway</em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>5) LAUGHTER YOGA sessions planned for 23rd October in Cambridge - more details to follow.....</em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>6) Soham Town Rangers U18 are planning a sponsored BAG PACK at Waitrose in Ely hopefully ! Thank you in advance to Chris Gibson and his lads!</em></strong></p>
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<p><strong><em>It will be a relief to go to Cambodia and relax! ;-)</em></strong></p>
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<p>Offline donations have also now been received from:</p>
<p>- Har Hari at the Sukhmani Yoga Centre in Cambridge</p>
<p>- Fellow yoginis from Cambridge</p>
<p>- Terry Melia from Melia Publishing Services</p>
<p>- Sue Jones in Hemingford Grey</p>
<p>- The Convent of Our Lady in Kettering (my old primary school, now defunked)</p>
<p>- £64 from Cheques for the Barn Dance and Raffle Tickets (paid in offline)</p>
<p>- £25 from Cinzia Bonada (former ballet dancer and now Royal Academy artist - friend of my Mum's from Bush Davies)</p>
<p>- £20 Jacquie King - my brother-in-law's sister!</p>
<p>- £600 from me for my flight costs !!!</p>
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<p><strong>THANK YOU EVERYBODY!</strong></p>
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<p>Thanks again to everyone who has donated and offered support ! I really do appreciate it !</p>
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<p>Sarah xxx</p>
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<p>OK - HERE ARE THE RAFFLE PRIZES :</p>
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<p><span style="color: #800080; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Community Challenge Cambodia 2010: Raffle Prizes</span></strong></span>
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<p><span><strong>First Prize:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> A Brand New <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Gorgeous BLUE Acer Aspire LAPTOP worth around £500 and loaded with Windows 7 and MS Office Home </strong></span>courtesy of Norman Merry in Hemingford Grey</span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: JOHN FORD of Hemingford Grey</span></span></p>
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<p><span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Second Prize:</strong></span> 30 min </span><strong><span style="color: #006400;">flight in a Motor Glider</span>,</strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"> courtesy of Clive Mason in Leicestershire</span></p>
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<span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Brian of Sutton</span> <span style="color: #ff0000;">and Brian of Mepal</span>
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<p><span><strong>Third Prize:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> </span></span>Weekend <strong><span style="color: #006400;">free hire of a 1973 VW Campervan</span>,</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> courtesy of Peter & Sarah Kemp</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Kerry of Kettering</span></p>
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<p><span><strong>Fourth Prize:</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> </span></span><span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Drive a Passenger Hovercraft</strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"> on land and water, courtesy of Hovercraft For Hire</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Julie Smith of Kettering</span> </p>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Plus:</span></strong>
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<span><strong><span style="color: #006400;">Day trip in a River Boat</span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"> on the Ouse, courtesy of Derek Laxton, St Ives</span></span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Jo Grimmer of Hemingford Grey</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">A days’ </span><strong>Photography Course</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> in Southwold, from Nick Catling Photography (worth £99)</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Mrs D. House of Godmanchester</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">Clarice House, Bury St Edmunds </span><strong>Day Spa voucher</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> (worth £30)</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Jo Grimmer of Hemingford Grey</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">Free sitting and print from </span><strong>Helen Traherne Photography</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> (worth £50)</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Hayley Coulter of Hemingford Grey</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">Voucher for </span><strong>delicious Cup Cakes</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> from The Sweet Kitchen, Hilton (worth £16)</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Wendy Price of Kettering</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">Voucher for a </span><strong>20 min Back Massage</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> from Optimum Beauty, St Ives</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: M Wheeler of Lutterworth</span></p>
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<span style="color: #000000;">Voucher for a </span><strong>booster vaccination for a dog or cat</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> from Cromwell Vets, St Ives (worth £40)</span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Robin Rollo of St Ives</span></p>
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<span><strong><span style="color: #006400;">Bag of goodies</span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"> from PM Embroidery in Huntingdon</span></span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Sylvia of Kettering</span></p>
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<span><strong><span style="color: #006400;">T-Shirt</span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"> with a colour print on the front from Impressions Print and Label, Somersham</span></span>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: M Derry of Bingham</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;">£10 voucher from </span><strong>Hotel Chocolat</strong><span style="color: #000000;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Pauline King of Kingston Upon Thames</span></p>
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<p><span><strong><span style="color: #006400;">Gemstone necklace and earrings</span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"> hand-made in Brazil by Sandra Weeks</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Stuart Eldridge of Cambridge</span></p>
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<p>2 tickets for <span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Snow White on Ice</strong></span> at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Keith French of Cambridge</span></p>
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<p>Voucher for delicious 8" Celebration Cake from <span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Simmonds Deli</strong></span> in St Ives</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: D Ford of Kettering</span></p>
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<p>Half price voucher for a <span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Bootcamp at Escential Fitness</strong></span> in Swavesey</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Phyllis of Bingham</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Hair Salon Voucher</strong></span> for MAXWELLS in Biggleswade</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">WINNER: Tony Quinn of Hemingford Grey</span></p>