I'm Selena Elcombe -a psychologist.  In November 2013 I will be embarking on an All Women Fundraising Trek in Vietnam.  I'll be trekking up to eight hours a day through the remote Tonkinese Alps in Northern Vietnam.  I'll be wading through rice paddies and following steep paths through the forests and  mountains between remote villages.  If I reach my goal I'll be able to look all the way across the mountains to Southern China.  

The real goal, though, is to help a small charity, Journey of a Lifetime Trust (JoLt) which takes disabled or disadvantaged young people on amazing journeys at a critical time in their lives so that they can develop their confidence and belief in themselves.  As psychologists we know that experiences change people, so giving a young person a  chance to experience what they can achieve can be truly life changing. 

I, and the five women trekking with me, want to raise significant sums of money so that JoLt can take a group of young people to Africa in 2014 and change their lives!  It costs around  £4000 to take one young person on a Journey of a Lifetime.  The youngsters raise some money themselves but the trips aren't possible without financial help.  

I know you are often asked to donate to friends who run, cycle, climb and do amazing things for charity.  I am hoping that you will find it in your heart to help me and JoLt to make a difference to the futures of young adults who have experienced illness, disability, abuse or neglect.   Please make a donation - anything you give will go straight to JoLT- you are not subsidising my trip! 

If you need more convincing here are two excerpts from letters to Dorothy (one of my fellow trekkers), who leads JoLt:   

Dear Dorothy,

I never did get a chance to say a big thank you to you all. JoLt has changed my life. You were my family for a month, and I have never met such a caring group in my life.

People in school have all said how confident and assertive I have become. I have changed in a big way. I have matured and have a wider outlook on life, I am very optimistic. You have helped me in so many ways I feel I can be myself, and if I want something bad enough, I can make it happen.

Ever since JoLt I am willing to give anything a try. I have done more this past year than I have ever done in my life. I actually go out and do it instead of thinking about it, thank you again.

  
Dear Dorothy,

Before I came on this journey I always thought I was restricted to things I could and couldn’t do after I was diagnosed with Hyperlaxity Syndrome. I also found it hard to talk about my Dad dying but when I met someone else on JoLt who had been in the same situation as me I found it very easy.

 I have never been in an aircraft never mind a helicopter. It brings tears to my eyes to know that you, and a lot of other people involved in JoLt, have made every dream I had come true. But you are the one that started JoLt off and I’m sure you’ve made a lot of people like me, very happy and a much better person. JoLt has marked me forever and you are a very special person to me. I can’t thank you enough Dorothy I just hope you carry JoLt on, to let other dreams come to reality.

 There is more information on JoLT’s website - http://www.jolttrust.org.uk/difference_we_make.shtml

 

Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.   And many thanks to my generous and loving friends and family who have given me the experiences that I have needed to take this on! 

 Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity