Julian and Sheila Handley would like to ask you help raise money for the British Red Cross by sponsoring in retrospect their trek in October 2006 to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Please dig deep if possible to sponsor us online here, through the post, or in person at Buckingham Red Cross Day Centre.  See below.

The newsy bit:   (See our fund-matching amounts below for an idea of earlier events and fund raising)

96¹₂% of Kilimanjaro

We should very much like to thank the many people who generously sponsored us for our trek on Mount Kilimanjaro.  So many contributed to the fund for the British Red Cross that it would be difficult to thank everyone personally, many being unknown to us, or contributing anonymously, e.g. at our market stalls.  Special mention to our neighbours and friends Freda and Len Davies and family members, who held a coffee morning on our behalf, with the generous cooperation of Ros Hutt at the Well Street Centre in Buckingham: thanks also to Malcolm Ashurst and his daughter Clare and Sheila’s sister’s family, the Dysons (of Northampton Symphony Orchestra), who provided live music at that event.  Dr Jim Marshall of ‘Marshall Amplification’ in Bletchley also donated most generously to the fund, as did many friends and relations.  And of course, thanks to our local paper, the ’Buckingham Advertiser’, for their helpful publicity.  Thank you very much one and all!

The trek was very rewarding, not least for meeting the thirty other trekkers - all there with the common aim of raising money to benefit other - and our many wonderful Tanzanian porters and guides.  Sheila reached the highest camp, Kibo Hut, altitude 4,700m - only 100m lower than Mont Blanc - before being advised to stop because of sickness/loss of appetite.  Julian made Gilman’s Point, the crater rim, 5,680m (96¹₂% of the total height), 215m short of the summit, but higher than Everest base camp and Europe’s highest mountain, after one of the most sustained endurance tests of his life; here he was persuaded to return due to tiredness. If anyone wants 3¹₂% of their sponsorship back, just let us know!  Eleven trekkers got to the summit.

We personally have raised nearly £7,000* and counting (some paid by ourselves to offset trip costs), so the successful object of the venture has eclipsed any slight personal disappointments.  The main thing was being there and sharing a common aim with so many great people.  Thanks again to all who helped.

*To date, £94,000 has been added to the trek fund as a whole.

People can continue to contribute on this web page until March.

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It's 5,895m high - We raised £1 for every metre it stands above sea level... and now we'd like to do more

The target has now been reached and exceeded.  We paid a 'registration fee', and spent £100's on essential clothes and equipment, medical fees, medicines, etc., but we must point out that the remaining cost of the trip (about £1400 each) was funded through British Red Cross from the sponsorship.  To offset this 'non-charitable' element, we decided, once we had raised just over £1000 each, to match £ for £ all subsequent donations up to a maximum of the remaining organisational costs (c. £900 each, now almost achieved*), so that, rather than your money paying partly for our 'trip', it goes in full to the Red Cross for their work nationally and internationally.  [For those of you who didn't know, Julian, following a redundancy, is working for the Red Cross as a relief ambulance/bus driver.]

*There is some matching still to do, so our total will go up quite some more yet, but we shall attend to this in due course, as the money may be coming from an unforeseen source.

The trek involved some hard work, not just getting up the mountain in temperatures changing from 35°C down to -10°C and in rarefied atmosphere at considerable altitude, with 12 or more hours tough trekking on 'summit' day, but also with the time and effort put in over several months for physical and medical preparation and, not least, raising the necessary sponsorship! So please be as generous as you feel able, but in any case remember that even the smallest donation will make a difference and will be increased by the tax-man if you can gift-aid it. Also, if you have any family, friends or colleagues who might deem this to be a worthy cause, please give/send them our web address [see 'Tell a friend' above] or our contact details below.

Donating through this web page is simple, fast and secure. It is also a very efficient way to sponsor us: British Red Cross 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.  Or you can post a cheque to our address below, giving your full name, address and postcode for the 28% gift aid.  Or call in person at Buckingham Red Cross Day Centre during opening hours.

Please sponsor us in retrospect (if you have not done already) for the "attempt" on Kilimanjaro, even though not fully successful in reaching the summit (or at least give 96¹₂% of what you would have!).  Many thanks for your support.